The Gleam Of A Cold Knife
by BubbleBear
Summary: Raised in the same village as Tatsumi, Naruto finally sets off along with his three childhood friend to make a name for himself and save the village what took him in when he was just a child. Let's see how the story will change with our favorite blond hero in it. Akame ga Kill X Naruto Crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**.

**Disclaimer**:** I don't own Akame ga Kill or Naruto... *sniff***

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

* * *

**Hey Everyone and welcome to my -not so- well developed crossover. Before jumping into the story I want to warn/tell/inform (pick one :S) you guys that this is a parallel universe, where Naruto has no connection with Konoha and the Elemental Nation is non-existent. Unless there's a huge need, our young blond Uzumaki will be the only character from the Naruto-Universe.**

**Naruto's Personality is pretty much "incomplete" and his view of the world will drastically change after this chapter. More info about his personality at the bottom.**

**Also, as some of you probably know by now, this pairing will be: Naruto x Leone x Chelsea . I don't know if I can handle more than 2 heroine, but I can probably add + 1... If there's good enough reason behind of course. (But I would prefer someone from the Jeagers...)**

**Enjoy!**

"It's just about time to pass on the torch. His story will soon be told..."

* * *

**(Prologue)**

**Chapter 1: Kill the Light.**

* * *

A lonely carriage could be seen on the horizon with one, shadowy figure riding on it and another one walking alongside it. The deserted road barely showed any kind of movement, much to their surprise.

"Say, how far until we arrive to the Capital?" Asked the one walking next to the cart. Needless to say, seeing the exact same dirt road for 5 days straight really drives the people insane and impatient.

"Your question is as good as mine. At this point, I don't even care now if I get the most flavorless food in the world for dinner." Said the other person, sitting in front of the cart. "As long as I don't have to spend another three days staring at the horse's ears, I'll be happy...- OH LOOK!" Pointing a finger towards a homongous, far off place, the man gasped. At the end of the dirt road, a beautiful city with huge a palace in the center could be seen as it sunbathed in the light. "We're almost there!"

However for a moment, they completely forgot that nothing is as easy as it looks.

***CRACK***

A huge crack appeared in front of the horse.

"Hm?"

Moments later, a giant bug-like monster bursted out of the ground, surprising the two man and at the same time flipping the carriage upside down.

Recovering from the shock, they looked up only to see that the monster is looking right back them with hungry eyes.

"Earth... Earth Dragon!" The braver of the two exclaimed as both of them couldn't believe their eyes.

"But how?! I didn't know they came out in highways like these!" Finished his partner and without any second thought, they started running. "RUUUN!

Much to their surprise, a young man of average height with medium length brown hair and green eyes appeared between them, separating the monster from the two men.

"Saving people and getting myself known." He drawn a short sword what was strapped to his back. "Seems like I'll be able to do both, just like _he_ said!" Finished the young man.

In a blink of an eye, he jumped up to one of the monster's limb and with a swift motion, he cut it off. Landing perfectly on the ground, the boy looked towards the now angry Earth Dragon. "First Class risk species, Earth Dragon, huh... Thanks to _his_ sweaty training I completed few months ago, you won't be a hard opponent." He smirked.

**"VWAAAAA"** Responded the Earth Dragon as it aimed it's remained arm at him.

"I see you're angry. Let's end this shall we?" Seeing through the monster's attack, the young man rolled out of the shockwave's way what was caused by the Earth Dragon's punch and ran up on his arm, targeting it's head with his short sword. "It's over!" He said it with ease and successfully seperated the monster's head from the rest of it's body.

Meanwhile, the two men next to their destroyed carriage looked at the newly appeared young man with their mouth wide open. "A-Amaizing..." One of them said as he started to run towards the boy.

"That was amaizing, young boy! You actually defeated a risk species singlehandedly...!"

The boy kept his smirk as he stood up from from his kneeling position while his brown hair shodowed his eyes. "Heh," A rough, strong voice escaped from his mouth.

"Well obviously~" His voice quickly changed to one like a child's. "For me, something like that is a piece of cake!" The young man proudly pointed a finger to himself. Without saying, the two bystander sweatdropped.

"By the way, my name is Tatsu-"

"TATSUMI!"

***WHACK***

Another unknown voice echoed through the deserted road what a loud crashing sound followed. In a flash, the young man -now known as Tatsumi- quickly found himself lying on the ground with his back facing the dirt while his very soul almost escaped through his mouth. Taking a look to the cause of his fall, Tatsumi noticed a heavy and rather large backpack "sitting" on his stomach. '_My... back-...pack_' He painfully said inside his mind. This is the second time when he got his own backpack thrown at his back just today.

Raising his head slowly, Tatsumi was able to see an orange blur from the distance closing up to his location in a normal pace.

"Tatsumi, I know I told you to run ahead to save those people..." The blurry figure reached the still lying Tatsumi but this person's voice showed everything but kindness in it. Thanks to the Sun shining from behind his back, the two men still standing next to the cart, couldn't see the newcomers face. "...But why the hell did you throw your backpack into my face while I was eating?" The tall figure standing next to Tatsumi quickly shrunken down to a comically small chibi form as anime tears started to gather in his eyes. "I know that it wasn't ramen but I almost suffocated thanks to the meat I had to swallow!" He added while also implying that dying from eating ramen is an honourable death.

Tatsumi sweatdropped. "I-I just wanted to test my skills, Naruto. Thanks to your training me and the others went through, I was quite curious where I stand." The brown-haired boy grabbed his backpack and stood up from while dirting himself off.

The man standing next to Tatsumi and the cause of his crash with his very own backpack is none other than the 19 years old Uzumaki Naruto. He is a slim and tall male with messy blond hair while also having jaw-length bangs framing either side of his face. His outfit consists of an orange shirt, dark blue trousers, black sandals and a long grey coat that he leaves open and it's right sleeve is rolled up below the elbow. Despite his outfit, his most noticable trait is three whisker-like marks on each of his cheek.

"***Sigh*** Nevermind." Naruto took a quick glance toward the far off Capital. "We're almost there, let's go." He told Tatsumi tiredly.

"Right!" Tatsumi happily responded as they took off.

Unknown to Tatsumi and Naruto, the two dumbstruck men -now- sitting next to the cart had their already hanging mouth blown off by the wind. 'They have completely forgotten about us...' Both thought as their sweat drop increased.

**At the Capital.**

"Whoa! Awesome! So this is the Capital!?" Tatsumi exclaimed while clenching his fist in joy in front of his chest. Next to him his friend however, was the complete opposite.

"I'm not up for this..." Naruto said to no one in particular as he placed his hands inside his coat's pockets while walking in a slower pace. "It's hot. I'm burning. I'm scorching. I'm gonna turn to ash and now I'm hungry again."

Tatsumi quickly got up to the slowly walking blond. "Hey, Naruto! Let's join the army! With our skills, I'm sure that we'll get promoted to captain instantly!" Tatsumi tried to place one of his hand on Naruto's shoulder but before he could, the young Uzumaki collapsed. "Naruto!"

* * *

**10 minutes later.**  
**At the Barracks.**

* * *

"***Sigh*** Safe Heaven." Naruto sighed happily. Thanks to the cold temperature around his village, heat is something he got used to. Right now he is reading the application form what a rather bored looking man gave him and Tatsumi.

Finished with the reading, the blond moved back to the man and his curiosity gave in. "Ah, does this mean we start off as a foot soldier?" He asked while Tatsumi also wanted to say the same thing.

"That's obvious, righ?" The bored looking man waved with his hand dismissively. "And they're mostly sent to remote regions."

Wanting to save his village as fast as he could, Naruto appeared next to the sitting man in a flash. "I'm sorry but we don't have the time for that!" He placed both of his hands on each of the man's shoulders, causing a dramatic scene. "I can assure you that I, Uzumaki Naruto, am worth just as much as a captain in both strength and intelli- I mean agility." He closed his eyes and started to smile. "So forget about that useless application and put us in service at around captain class, provide us unlimited amount of ramen and we'll take care of the hardest missions the Empire will ever receive!" His smile turned into his fox-like grin what he learned to use when he was 10 years old. '_Ah, I can already see it._' He nodded none the less.

His daydreaming quickly came to an end as he felt his grip on the man have disappeared. "Eh?" Slowly opening his eyes, the blond found himself outside in an alley along with Tatsumi, who was on the ground. "WHY?!" He cried out. "You can at least let me prove it!"

"Stop messin' around!" The man screamed back. "Applicants are flooding in because of this recession! We can't be looking at each and every one! There's also a limit to how many we can hire!"

"For real?" Naruto froze as the man sclosed the doof in a quite hars way.

"Thanks a lot Naruto. I didn't even say anything and still got kicked out." Tatsumi sat down on the ground while crying anime tears. "What are we going to do now?"

"Good question. Maybe I should apologize or somethi-" But he got interrupted by a feminine voice before he could finish his sentence.

"Hey there~" Before the two could forsee it, a young woman with short blonde hair and golden eyes appeared beside them, standing close to Naruto... too close for his liking. Her revealing outfit was just the icing on the cake. "You two seem troubled. Should this Onee-san here lend you a hand?" She asked, making both Tatsumi and Naruto incapable to answer.

_'...'_ After seeing her face, Naruto's cheeks instantly turned slightly red... so in order to avoid the deadly trap he called woman, he lowered his gaze to her breas-... wait...

"Huuge-***Shakes head*** I mean how can you help us?" He tried to sound normal but failed miserably. '_Damn it, if she's anything like Sayo, I'm good as dead._'

***Chuckle*** "Don't worry, young lads. I know a quick way to get into the army."

"Seriously!?" It was Tatsumi's turn to exclaim.

"You wanna know?" Asked the misterious blonde woman as both Tatsumi and Naruto nodded without a second thought. "Then, treat Onee-san to a meal!" She smiled.

However, Naruto quickly leaned forward to the now standing Tatsumi and started to whisper into his ear, not caring that the blonde woman is right in front of them. "Tatsumi, something is not right... I-I mean-"

"Don't worry Naruto, we just treat her to a meal." Tatsumi answered.

"Oh!" The young woman spoke up. "I know a great inn which makes one of the city's best ramen." She said innocently.

Not even a moment later, Naruto placed a hand on her right shoulder while pointing forward with stars in his eyes. "Lead the way!" The young Uzumaki in turn, completely ignored the fact how the woman knew his addiction to ramen.

* * *

At 19 years of age, Naruto could say he was honestly pleased with his life. Even though he never met his real parents, the young Uzumaki was glad that one of the village's elder have found him and raised him as his own. Living inside a cozy and snow-filled village with kindhearted and friendly villagers, life was almost perfect... until the abnormal taxes came in of course.

And yet here he was, waiting for his ramen in a inn full of brutes while they're looked at him like he is the Capital's Assistant Vice Clown.

Sitting beside a drop dead gorgeous blonde young woman did not help at all. '_She's doing this on porpuse!_' He screamed inside his head while looking everywhere but her décolleté.

"Pfahhh! Yeah~ Alcohol in the daytime really hits the spot!" She happily said while finishing with the third mug of beer.

Tatsumi, sitting in front of them was as pale as a ghost during the time. "You're drinking without too much regard for us." He sighed.

"Just drink, lads! Let's have fun!" Replied the busty blonde while reaching for another bottle to re-fill her mug.

Getting uncomfortable, Naruto rose up from his chair. "Back in a minute." Informed the two and walked towards the restroom. With half-closed and tired eyes, the blond have failed to see a young man, who was trying to leave the rest room at the same time as Naruto wanted to enter. Life quickly came back to his eyes as he bumped into the young man with green hair and red goggles on top of his head.

"Oh, sorry." The green heard young man said with quite an optimistic nature, surprising Naruto in the process.

However, before Naruto could also apologize, his eyes widened as the green-haired boy passed by him. Standing like he was frozen, the young Uzumaki turned his head back slowly as he took another glance towards the retreating boy before the restroom's door closed on it's own.

'_Something...Something doesn't feel right._' His widened eyes reverted back to normal. '_Something about him was __strange. Like the air around him got heavier despite his physical appearence... Just like around that woman._' He instantly placed one of his clenched fist on his chest. '_Is it because of this?_' Moments later, a weak blue light shined through his skin, shirt and coat around the area of his chest. '_Could it be that we have something in common?_' Placing these thoughts into the back of his head, Naruto proceeded to finish what he wanted.

'_I should ask a thing or two from her after this._' He exited from the restroom after he washed his hands. Moving back to their table, the blond raised one of his eyebrows seeing that Tatsumi was the only one there.

"Where's she?" He asked curiously.

"We did it, Naruto!" Tatsumi told his friend while grinning. "She said she has a contact in the army and if we show this person enough money, he will get us in."

"Oh, great. Then let's go and find this guy fast." Naruto answered without much enthusiasm.

"Umm, she said she'll go and settle it if I give her the money and-"

"You did WHAT?!" Naruto snapped. Since he no longer had any space in his own backpack because of an artifact he had found, he gave 90% of his money to Tatsumi. "You have any idea how many bowls of ramen did you just give her?! What if she set you up?" He immediately impacted his head into the wooden table. A couple of seconds later, a waiter approched him.

"Your miso ramen, sir." Taking a look at the Food of the Gods, Naruto began to reach towards the chopsticks while his head still on the table, but much to his shock he was unable consume the meal.

"For some reason, I'm no longer hungry."

"Don't worry, she said she will be back before we know it." Tatsumi reassured him without a success.

**1 Hour later.**

"Are you 100% sure she's coming back?" A bored looking Naruto asked.

"Yes..."

**3 Hours later.**

"ZzZzZz"

"Naruto, wake up!"

* * *

**10 Hours later.**  
**Outside.**

* * *

"SHE SET US UP!" Naruto released his wrath on an innocent trash can while sulking over the money what they lost. After more than 10 hours of wait, the pair grew tired and walked out of the pub. The two have done their best to find the blonde woman but after more than 4 hours of search, they came to a conclusion that it's impossible to find her in such a big city. "And she has also tricked us to pay for her meal..." The blonde muttered and soon collapsed onto the cold street. "I'm too broke to die..."

A couple of seconds later Tatsumi sat down next to him with several clouds above his lowered head. "I'm sorry, Naruto. If it wasn't for my obsession about the army, we-" A hand in front of him quickly made him stop.

"Stop. It's not like we had any money after that night-bandit ambush what seperated us from the others..." Naruto sat up onto the Capital's cold street.

Three days ago, a couple of bandits have ambushed them at night and seperated them from each other thanks to the danger beasts they've dragged into the fight by the loud noises. Naruto, wanting to avoid the unnecessary bloodshed had gave half of the party's money to the bandits leader who soon got devoured by a danger beast what came out of the ground. The other half of the money was inside one of their friends backpack.

"Naruto, you're far stronger than the rest of us, so why did you give our money to them without even trying to put up a decent fight?" Tatsumi asked while looking into his -now- emoitonless eyes.

"Because of the danger beasts." He looked up to the starry sky. "I could feel them right below us. The money I gave the bandits have left them distracted and wide open for the monsters sudden attack."

"That's still not enough to convience me." Tatsumi looked at him skeptically.

"***Sigh***... I'm only willing to go all out if they hurt my precious people... So safety is first on my list." He grunted as he made a fist.

"Oh~... Just admit that you were worried about Sayo!" Tatsumi used this once-in-a-lifetime chance to tease his ramen addicted friend. "She fell head over heels for you after you saved her from tha-"

"S-Shut up! It's nothing like that!" Naruto tried to deny it but he failed badly thanks to his slightly pink cheeks.

"Whatever Mr. 'I'm too dense to recognise the obvious'."

***Gallop***

"...?!" Both of their attention quickly fell to a faint sound that came from the left. Moments later an elegant-looking carriage could be seen as it was moving on the dark streets of the Capital with a guard on both sides. Looking at the newcomers, Naruto got an idea.

"Huh, where are you going?" Asked the bruenette curiously while his friend made his way towards the carriage.

***GALLOP***

"Gonna ask them if they know anything about '_her_'." He replied in a bitter tone without looking back.

Walking towards the carriage with his hands inside his pockets and a smile on his face, the young blond have come to a quick stop when a spear and a sword instantly covered most of his field of view. The guards were obviously not happy to see someone like him at a time like this.

"Stop! Who are you and what do you want from the Young Lady?" Asked the one holding the spear literally in front of the blond's eyes. Naruto raised both of his opened hands from his pockets in a defensive way, as a sweat drop rolled down on his face for being nervous.

"H-Hello. I don't know who you're talking about but me and my friend are looking for some information ab-" He had to take a step back as the guard readied his spear. '_It hasn't been a week and I already miss my village..._'

"Information?!" The guard snarled at him. Before he could continue to shove the spear into the young Uzumaki's face, Tatsumi arrived next to him with a more composed expression.

"We are looking for a young woman with short blonde hair and golden eyes. Her outfit is also quite revealing..." Tatsumi said while Naruto sweat dropped.

"Yeah, she tricked us in the morning and stole all our money. Now we're broke and don't even have a house to stay in. ***Sniff*** " Hearing their story, the guards slowly began to lower their weapons but the suspicion was still in their eyes.

"Is that so?" A feminine voice came from inside the cart. Moments later a guard quickly reched towards the door's handle and opened it, revealing a wealthy looking young girl with a long sleeve white shirt and blue dress. The girl got out of the carriage.

"I apologize to say this, but the Capital is far too big to find anyone if you are alone." She smiled to the two as she adjusted a fluffy blue hair accessory in her blonde hair.

"Aria-sama! It's too dangerous to get out of the carriage at night." One of the guards informed her in a vorried tone.

"It's alright. Besides, I can't just let these two poor soul to sleep on the street." An imaginary question mark appeared above Tatsumi's and Naruto's head. "Are you two interested in coming to my house?" The girl named Aria asked them with a cheerful smile.

"Ehh... Sorry to say this, but we've already got tricked once. Coming to your house like this is... well... What's the catch?" Naruto asked as he started to scratch the back of his head nervously.

A guard stepped forward. "There's no '_catch_'. Aria-sama can't leave people like you alone!" This statement actually surprised the two boy from the countryside.

"So, are you two coming?" She asked again while focusing his gaze on Tatsumi.

"Well, it's better than sleeping outside..." The brunette answered.

"Fine by me..." Followed by Naruto.

"Then it's settled!"

* * *

**One day later.**  
**At Aria's place.**  
**Night.**

* * *

The young Uzumaki was actually glad that they've taken Aria's kind offer. He felt relieved, thinking there are still good and kind people inside the capital.

After he and Tatsumi arrived to the huge estate what Aria called home, the two learned that her father is a well known man in the Empire and that with a few "small talks", he can actually get them inside the army. They talked with the man for a couple of hours and after Aria's question about their other two friends, Naruto and Tatsumi did not have a choice but to tell them about Ieyasu and Sayo.

**Flashback.**

* * *

**Five Days Ago.**  
**Near Tatsumi's and Naruto's Village.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

"All right, we'll be on our way, Chief!" Tatsumi smiled as he informed the village's Chief about their depart. Two people were by his side while Naruto could be seen walking towards the group with a tired and half-conscious face.

One of the two person standing next to Tatsumi is a young girl with long black hair and black eyes, who wears a white butterfly or flower hair accessory. Her name is Sayo, a quick tempered, kind and cheerful girl who always tends to spend her free time beside a certain blond with whisker-like marks on his cheeks.

The other one is a young man with unruly dark brown hair with brown eyes who wears a white martial arts headband. This boy's name is Ieyasu, one of Naruto's childhood friend just like Sayo. However, unlike her and Tatsumi, Ieyasu have sworn to defeat Naruto at least once in a friendly one-on-one spar, thus making him the whiskered blond's rival.

***Cough* *Cough*** The Chief cleared his throat to gain the group's -minus Naruto- attention.

"You've been improving each other since you were young. Seize the chance to be successful with those skills." He smiled to them proudly.

"Leave it to us." Sayo smiled.

"Yeah! If we do that, we won't have to starve to death and I can finally beat Naruto after I'll train myself in the army." Ieyasu clenched his fists thanks to his excitement. "Just you wait Naruto, I'm sure that I'm going to defeat you this time." He closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

_**~Silence...~**_

"Then I guess you have nothing to worry about." A calm, yet playful voice came from behind Ieyasu, surprising the said man.

"Eh...?" Ieyasu slowly opened his eyes and turned around only to come face-to-face with Naruto's signature weapon, a tri-pronged knife with a small ring attached to the end of it. "But how?! You were there a minute ago!" He pointed one of his fingers towards the mountains.

"He-he... Because I'm 100% pure awesome, you just have to deal with it, '_Ieyasu-sama_'." He covered his mouth with his empty hand while smirking at the mentioned boy's surprised expression. '_This never gets old._'

"Grrr, just you wait! Give me a year...NO... 6 months and I'll show you my true potential!" He growled at his rival/friend as the bolnd holstered his knife inside his coat. Another, same kind of knife could be seen on the other side of his waist before he covered it with his coat.

"Sorry to dissapoint you but you're gonna need much more time than 6 mo-**BWAGH**" Naruto dropped to the ground instantly as a hard punch met with his head. Looking up from the snowy ground, he saw an angry looking but still smiling Sayo with one of her hand closed in a fist.

"Naruto-kun, I thought that you know this is an important day for all of us." She asked with the smile never leaving her face. "And you also promised that you are going to take things seriously... " She started to walk up to his laying figure.

"W-W-Wait a second Sayo-chan, I was just-"

"You promised...Right?" It was too late.

"GWAAAAAaaaaa..."

As our protagonist met with his painful and inevitable fate, the chief shifted his gaze to the sweatdropping Tatsumi. "There seems to be plenty of energy in them at least... Tatsumi, Ieyasu, be careful and use the knowledge what the two of you have acquired..." He smiled at the two. "...And God will surely save you." The chief's smile soon faded. "I would say the same to those two, but..." He sighed as he saw the desperate look on Naruto while Sayo continued telling him how to behave.

Minutes later, the group finally prepeared everything and were ready to go. "Alright, we're off!" Tatsumi, Ieyasu and Sayo exclaimed in unision.

"Yea..." But Naruto just simply grunted, clearly not recovered from the lecture he recieved earlier.

"And Naruto." The chief quietly gained the blond's attention before he could leave. "I know that you've learnt to control it but I ask you to only use your '**_powers_**' if absolutely necessary."

The blond nodded with a thoughtful look. "Yes! I hope I can find some answers about it inside the Capital, though." But before Naruto could say his goodbye, something or rather someone have grabbed his hand softly. Looking away from the chief, he saw Sayo holding his left hand with her own.

"Come on Naruto-kun, let's go!" She said happily while basically dragging the suprised blond after Ieyasu and Tatsumi with her cheeks painted pink.

* * *

**Flashback: END.**

After telling their story to Aria and her family, the said girl quickly reassured the two that they'll meet them soon. A little too quick if someone would ask Naruto, who was clearly not convienced by what she said for some reasons.

Today was no exception. Despite being a boring day, Naruto nearly face-faulted when he saw the things Tatsumi and the other guards had to carry. He noted that girls inside the Capital with their shopping habit are the complete opposite from Sayo and the others he came to know.

Also, while being on guard-duty around Aria and assisting one of her guards called Gauri, he learned that the main reason his homevillage is starving is because of the heavy taxes and other selfish laws made by the Minister. He was kind of uninterested in what came next but the guard also drawn his attention to a certain group of assassin that's targeting the wealthy and high-ranking individuals. Night Raid, if he remembers right. Since he is neither rich nor a high-ranking officer, he thought he could care less about the matter.

Oh how wrong he was...

***Sigh*** "Why can't I sleep?" Asked the blond from no one in particular and sat up on the bed he was laying in the previous 2 hours.

***SNORE*** An incredibly loud snore came from the room next to his, making Naruto's left eyebrow to twitch.

"Oh, that's why..." He facepalmed. '_Seriously Tatsumi? There's even a frickin' wall between us!_'

***SNOOORE***

"Arg, I'm so going to prank you for this!" He smirked evily, thinking about what should he do with his friend.

...

"Oh, he stopped." Naruto widened his eyes. "Now I can finally-"

'"_What's this...? Bloodthirst!?_"' The blond heard what Tatsumi said and he immediately grabbed his clothes and ran out of the room when Tatsumi forcefuly opened the door next to his. Outside in front of his room, Naruto looked at his friend.

"Tatsumi, what's going on?" He asked.

"What do you mean '_what's going on_'? Can't you feel it, this killing intent?" Tatsumi replied as Naruto's eyes grew wide. He was right, someone just killed somebody not too far from them. Also, the same sensation what he felt when they were inside the inn was there as well.

'_This is not good. Don't tell me that it's the..._' He looked out of the window and paled when he saw five individuals above him, standing on what looked like strings. "Night Raid!?" He exclaimed.

"Nigh Raid?" Tatsumi asked.

"A group of assassin that's targeting the wealthy and high-ranking individuals, at least that's what Gauri told me. They're probably here to kill Aria and everyone else working for her parents then take all their money. " He gripped the handle of one of his knifes. "The girl holding a katana looks excatly like the one on the poster I saw in the morning, her name is Akame, she's a member of Night Raid."

"Then we have to hurry and save Aria!" Before Tatsumi could leave, he spotted the guards nearing the members of the said group. Naruto tapped him on his shoulder and pointed to his own room.

"I'll get the rest of my things." Then he went back to his room.

This was too sudden for his liking. First they lost their money and now they have to break through a highly trained group of assassins.

Searching through his equipments, he grabbed the most important ones and his coat then ran back to Tatsumi as fast as he could.

"Okay, I'm ba-... What!?" Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. All of the guards who were prepearing to fight against the assassins were killed when he came back. "Are you kidding, they were alive less than a minute."

Tatsumi's thoughts were the same.

"At least..." He began. "At least I have to protect Aria-san!" Tatsumi said it out loud as he ran off before his friend could have stopped him.

"Tatsumi! Damn it is he for real?" He wanted to run after him but the faint blue glow inside his chest made him to stop for a second. "THIS again-?!"

"Guh...Ugh..." As the sound of Tatsumi's footsteps disapeared, the blond was able to hear a familiar voice coming from behind him.

"Huh? Behind me?!" He turned around and slowly started to walk towards the source of the voice. A few steps from the corner, he could feel two people's presence but strangely, both of them felt familiar to him.

"H-Help me...I have a daughter...!" The blond recognised the voice as Aria's father.

He wanted to immediately turn around the corner and fight against whoever is trying to kill the man but something stopped him from doing it. A feeling what he rarely felt, uncertainty.

'_Wait, why am I even doing this?_' His gaze went down to the floor. '_I have no reason to get myself killed while trying to protect him._' Naruto closed his eyes. '_I should have gone after Tatsumi, the only thing that this person did was giving us food and a room to slee-_' His eyes widened for a second before he gripped the left side of his coat where his heart is.

'_Heh._ _I'm really pathetic._' He gritted his teeth. '_Those are the reasons I have to protect him and the rest of the people inside here. Besides, when did I need a goddamn reason to protect an innocent person?!_' Needless to say, Naruto was disgusted of himself.

With determined eyes, he turned around the corner in a hurry and prepeared to attack before-

***SNAP***

A quick but sharp sound echoed through the hallway as the person Naruto wanted to protect dropped to the floor, dead.

"W-What!?" Naruto stopped.

There he was, face-to-face with the killer who is a young woman who had long blonde hair, lion ears, a tail and claws. As their eyes met, the woman released a surprised "Eeh?".

"Ooh...I never thought I'd meet you here, young la-"

"Why?" Naruto interrupted as his hair shadowed his eyes.

"Hmmm?

"Why did you kill him?" He asked under his breath. "Why didn't you just leave them be if you only care about the money." Silence... "Tell me... What is it that you're fighting for?" He opened his coat and placed his right hand on his knife what was on the left side of his waist. "What could've been worth... Killing an innocent person!?" He yelled, not even recognising the woman in front of him because of his anger.

"Innocent? Sorry lad, but he was far from being '_innocent_'." The blonde young woman replied as she narrowed her eyes. "If you were more careful, perhaps you could have been able realise their true intentions behind those kind words." She replied while looking down at the man's lifeless body in disgust.

"Don't make me laugh!" Naruto drawn one of his knifes, used it's ring to twirl it around his finger and dashed forward with his blond hair still shadowing his right eye.

As he closed the distance between them, his opponent threw a light but quick punch at him, aiming his head.

Seeing her attack clearly, Naruto tilted his head to the side and passed through her defense, then used the knife in his right hand to aim a vertical slash at her mid-section.

What he did not expect however, was for the girl to pull back her paw and grab his forearm forcefuly, stopping his strike in the process. Using the surprise move to her advantage, she pulled him closer and used her other paw to punch him in the stomach, making him fall to his knees and drop his knife.

"Gah..." Naruto desperatly tried to catch his breath while the girl still held his right arm tightly.

"Ah-Ah-Ah. You're gonna need much more than that to defeat me, cutie~." She told him with... excitement in her voice?

"What...the...***Cough***..." Looking up to his opponent, the blond was able to finally take a closer look at her thanks to the moonlight, shining through a nearby window. '_I couldn't even see her mov-_'... "EEeeehhh?!" He pointed his free hand at her in a comical way as he finally recognized the woman in front of him.

"You!" Forgetting about the pain, Naruto immediately jumped up.

"Oh~ So you '_do_' remember me! You made me worry there for a sec!" She used her tight grip on the blond's arm and pulled him forward while wrapping her other hand around his head, then burying his face into her bosom. "I hope you can forgive me for leaving you behind without saying goodbye~." She released her grip on his hand.

"Yhw Muwohewim mew! (You're suffocating me!)" After some struggle, he managed to get out of her deadly grip but soon landed on his butt thanks to the shock what she did to him.

"Oh~ He escaped..."

"'_Missed me_' my foot! We have only met yesterday!" He moved his forearm in front of his face trying to hide his blush. "A-And give us back our money!"

...

"Hehe~ Sorry but that's no longer an option... hehe..." The blonde girl scratched the back of her head with a nervous smile. "Sorry, gotta go! Bye!" Not wanting to hurt him for some unknown reasons, she turned around in a hurry and bolted towards the other end of the hallway, only to find the whiskered blonde standing right in front of her with his previously dropped knife already in his hand.

"What does '_Night Raid_' want from these people?" He raised then stretched out his right hand, holding his tri-pronged knife in a reversed grip. "And what do you mean about their '_true intentions behind those kind words_'?" He positioned his left hand and grabbed his right wrist to steady himself.

"Sorry lad, I don't have time for this right now." Said the girl as she raised her right arm, gathered her strength and punched through the wall, creating a huge hole and leaving one dumbstrucked Uzumaki Naruto behind her. A thick dust cloud formed around the two as Naruto covered his mouth.

***Cough***'_Did she just destroy the wall with a single punch?_' Naruto now shivered at thought that he actually wanted to fight with this woman and win. Not mentioning that he-

***Chu*** Our hero froze in his place as he recieved a quick peck on his cheek.

"WHA-!" Naruto stumbled when the floor seemed to drop away beneath him. He crawled back a few feet, totally forgetting that the young woman in front of him is supposed to be his opponent. "Wha-wha-what are you doing?!" He covered his face with his arms crossed.

"Oh~, that was for the excellent meal you've bought me yesterday." She walked to the hole and grinned. "Or could it be that one was not enough, hmm~?"

"Stop teasing me!" He tried to sound normal, he tried.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted, but time to go. See ya~!" She jumped down through the hole from the second floor and disappeared into the night.

Seeing her retreating figure, Naruto looked down to the floor, his hair shadowing his eyes. That's right, how could he forgot about that? He grit his teeth and punched the ground as hard as he could, remembering the murder she just committed. The man who gave him and Tatsumi food and shelter was laying dead not far from him.

He stood up from the ground. '_I was careless. Fighting and killing danger beasts is one thing, but I never ended a human's life..._' The moment when his attack was stopped came back to his mind. '_If only I was stronger..._' He slowly reached down to pick up his knife from the ground. '_Still, what did she mean by_ '_being far from innocent?_' ' He stared at the knife before remembering his friend and the danger he might be in.

"TATSUMI!" Naruto reached down and pulled out a wire from his belt. He attached the wire to his knife and used it as a grappling hook in order to quickly get down to the ground from the second floor.

**Outside.**

All in all, this was clearly not Tatsumi's day. He was greatful that he could find Aria in time but now he have to face against one of Night Raid's member, who is obviously targeting the blonde girl behind him. He blamed his pride but he rather die than leave an innocent girl behind.

It was not a question that the young girl with long black hair and red eyes before him is stronger. It was a miracle that the gift what he got from his village's elder could protect him from the strike of the red eyed girl's katana.

"Eliminate." Said the girl in a coldly as she dashed forward with the intent to kill.

"W-Wait a second!" Tatsumi put his hands in front of him, signaling to wait. "You guys are after the money or something, right? Please let this girl go!"

"..." No response have come from the red eyed girl.

"We're not even on the battlefield, yet you trying to kill this innocent girl!?"

'_It's no good..._' The assassin was now dangerously close to Tatsumi and prepeared her katana for the killing blow. '_She's not listening to a word I say!_'

***BAM***

Tatsumi's and even the assassin's eyes were widened as a strange looking tri-pronged knife impacted to the ground between them. Moments later, a shadowy figure appeared above the two and performed a spinning strike, thus forcing the red eyed girl to jump back as he landed. Pulling out his knife from the earth, Naruto pointed both of his weapons to Tatsumi's attacker.

"Naruto!" Tatsumi exclaimed while looking at the back of his friend.

"Yo, Tatsumi! Mind if I jump in?" Naruto said smoothly, staring at him over the back of his shoulder. He smiled in relief, seeing that he made it in time, although he spotted a guard's corpse from the corner of his eyes.

"Naruto, she is far stronger and faster than other people we've fought before!" Tatsumi informed his friend as he responded with a nod and turned back to the assassin and identified her as Akame.

"Naruto? Your name is Uzumaki Naruto?" Much to our blond hero's surprise, the red eyed girl, Akame, stared at him with a questioning look as she approached him.

The young man in question blinked as his eyes widened. "How do you know my name?" He questioned. Sure, he wanted to become famous inside the Capital but achieving this dream in only two days seems a bit strange to him.

"Boss wants to speak with you." She said simply without any kind of emotion.

"And if I refuse?" But he already knew that was a pointless question as the red eyed girl prepeared his weapon to attack.

"Then I shall use force." She ended the conversation.

The two shared a tense silence as they stared at each other under the moonlight, ready for a fight. Setting his Hero level to the maximum, Naruto took a deep breath and bolted forward.

The first thing he felt was the wind blowing by his cheek as his instincts told him to tilt his head to the side. Which actually saved his life as he found the girl's katana occupying the space where his head was a moment ago. Not taking any chances, Naruto used both of his knifes to deliever an uppercut, only to find that his red eyed opponent was no longer there. He spun around and completely let his insticts control his body while blocking an incoming slash with the knife in his right hand and using the one in his left for a powerful thrust.

But yet again, Akame disappeared from his field of vision for a moment and stepped up onto his knife. The time slowed down as she jumped past him and kicked the blond in the back, who was too surpsied to react in time. '_He wasn't kidding, she's nothing like the people I've fought in the past._' He quickly rolled out of the katana's way and began to exchange blows with the assassin.

**Flashback:**

* * *

**Training Ground.**  
**Night.**

* * *

Not far from a village, we can see a little boy with ocean blue eyes laying in the snow with a tired look. The eleven years old boy's eyes were filled with tiredness and anger.

"Huff...Huff...It's not fair! Why do I have to train while the others are having fun?!" Naruto half-yelled as he got up from the snow with a wooden sword in his tiny hands.

"Because you have to learn to use that**_ power_** in case you'll come across a strong opponent." The village's chief and also Little Naruto's caretaker said as he also held a wooden sword, pointing it to the boy's chest.

"Can't you just teach me super-awesome move instead?" Naruto looked at him with his puppy eyes but only received a chop from the wooden sword to his head by the chief. As far as Naruto can remember, the chief insisted him to train since he was nine years old and while he loved the normal training with his friends, his opinion about his '_special training_' was quite the opposite.

"I'm sorry, but this is important to your future." The chief said with a sad smile and even if he did his best to hide it however, Naruto saw it.

"What is wrong about my future?" Naruto tilted his head as he got uncomfortable somehow.

"...Oh, don't worry about it, child."

**Flashback: END.**

* * *

Another lunge and another dodge, this time joined by a parry as the blond allowed the katana to slide past him. Using this momentum to his advantage, Naruto proceeded to aim at Akame's face, only to recieve a strike to his side from the katana's hilt. The young Uzumaki closed his eyes as he saw the katana closing up to his neck. Sadly, it was too late to dodge from the blade.

_'I know that you've learnt to control it but I ask you to only use your 'powers' if absolutely necessary.'_

'_Sorry gramps, looks like I have to use it sooner than expected..._' Naruto thought as he concentrated to the familiar sensation inside his chest.

In a flash, Naruto's body disappeared from Akame's sight, several small blue lines following behind the blur that his body had become. Before the red eyed assassin could process the sudden improvements in her opponent's abilities, the said blond Uzumaki appeared behind her in mid-air, ready to strike.

Overcoming her surprise, Akame turned around smoothly and blocked a quick yet powerful vertical slash from Naruto, much to his surprise. All around her feet were cracks and a small crater where the strength of her opponent had driven her into the ground. The red eyed girl pulled back her katana in a swift motion and stepped forward to knee him in his stomach, only to see him disappearing again in the same blue blur.

Naruto on the other hand was too surprised to continue the fight as he appeared not too far from her. '_Wha-?! Did she just...?_' He moved as fast as he could, yet she easily blocked his attack.

"Alright, that's enough~!" A familiar voice came from his left. It was her again...

"What are you doing, Leone?" Questioned Akame as she suddenly got grabbed by her companion.

"We still have time, right? Plus we don't want to kill this young lad." Said the young blonde woman, named Leone.

"Aaah! You're to Boob who couldn't stop asking those weird questions about Naruto's whisker marks!" Tatsumi shouted with worry. He obviously felt uncomfortable to see her again.

"Yep. The beautiful Onee-san from that time~!" But as soon as she finished her sentence, her eyes turned cold. Leone released Akame and made her way towards Tatsumi, Naruto and Aria. "You both told us not to kill an innocent girl..." She looked at Tatsumi, then Naruto and kicked in the warehouse's door what was located behind them. "But can you still say that after seeing this?"

Naruto was the first one who gave in to his curiosity. Little did he know that this is the moment when his life turns upside-down.

"Take a look... This is the darkness of the Capital."

Bodies... The warehouse was filled with dead bodies. Dismembered, tortured... there were no words to truly discribe what Naruto saw in that warehouse. It was like he could still hear them screaming. Is this what Leone meant by '_being far from innocent_'? "**W**h**A**t **T**h**E** **H**e**L**l?"

His gaze rapidly moved from left to right until he spotted a girl with a white flower hair accessory. "S-Sa-..." His strength completely left him and fell to his knees with wide eyes. He wanted to wake up. He wanted to tell himself that this is just a bad dream and everything is going to be fine. But deep inside he knew that this is the reality he will never escape from. "Sayo...?"

His knife fell down from his hands as he saw the most important person in his world dead, tortured and hanging from a rope tied around her hands.

"W-What?!" Came a silent whisper from Tatsumi as he too stepped inside the warehouse and saw Sayo's body.

"**Ta...Tsu...Mi, Na...ru...to...**It's me" Both turned their head towards the voice...It was Ieyasu who desperatly looked back while standing inside a cage. "That girl, invited Sayo and me... And after we ate, we lost consciousness, and we were he when we came to. Th...That girl... She tortured Sayo to death...!"

Naruto could feel the world around him started to shatter inside his mind. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he couldn't hear or do anything, only look... Look as the person he cared about the most was dead and another was only a step from it.

**Flashback:**

* * *

**Unknown Forest not far from the Village.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

"Hwaaaa!" Shouted a determined Ieayasu as he basically ran up to a tall tree with a heavily packed backpack on his back. Reaching up to the end, he looked down to the ground with a huge smirk and tired face. "Haha! I finally did it! I won!"

He decided to challenge Naruto to a tree climbing race and after a little while, he gave in and accepted it with a boredlook, saying that he don't have anything else to do anyway. Ieyasu made it to the top without seeing Naruto on the tree next to him, so he assumed that he was faster than him.

"Oooh~. Finally, I thought I'd never see you up here."

"Huh?"

Ieyasu's mood have taken a 180 degree turn after he heard his friend's voice on the tree next to the one he is standing on. He looked to his left and saw Naruto sitting with two backpack next to him.

"Naruto, you bastard! How did you get up here so fast!" He pointed angrily to his friend. '_And what the hell... Two backpacks?!_'

"Hehe~. Sorry, but I can't just reveal my awesome moves to you like that." Ieyasu sweat dropped. "Now that I've won, I believe you owe me dinner."

"LIKE HELL I WILL! Give me one more time, one more!" A small amount of fire appeared in his eyes as his fiery spirit shined through the forest.

"Alright! But this time, I won't hold back." The blond gave him a sadistic look while grinning. "Also, I'm going to order miso ramen, so prepeare your wallet~!"

"GAAH! That's cheating! I don't have the money for at least 8 bowls of ramen!"

* * *

**Flashback: END.**

Naruto looked at his rival, crying inside the cage. He remembered the countless of races they had and the '_war between rivals_' Ieyasu decleared a few years ago. At first, he tried to look annoyed about the constant challenges but deep inside it was always fun to prank or just simply win against his childhood friend.

So what did Ieyasu ever do to deserve this?

"The people of this house did this?" Naruto asked Leone who was standing in the doorway behind him as his hair shadowed his eyes.

"That's right. The guards were keeping quiet about it so they're similarly guilty."

So that's how it is. Then Aria, the girl who he thought was being nice to help them... Is just like her parents and tortured Ieyasu... And Sayo...

**Flashback:**

* * *

**Sayo's room.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

"Whoaaa, this is awesome!" An excited voice came from Naruto as he picked up an orange shirt with a... leaf-like symbol? He was confused why Sayo asked him to come with her but now he is more than happy. Tomorrow is the day they leave the village behind to move to the capital and she still used her remeaining time to make this for him.

"R-Really? I'm glad you like it. It took me some time, but I'm happy that I was able to make it before our departure." Sayo said with an honest smile while stuttering a little. Naruto, being as dense as a brick, failed to notice this and continued to stare at the orange shirt.

"Ano... Sayo-chan? I'm curious, what is this symbol?" Naruto asked her while pointing to the leaf-like symbol with a confused look while scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, you see... The idea came from when I went outside and a leaf came down from a nearby tree and onto my forehead." She closed her and moved one of her hands to the spot where the leaf was. When she touched her forehead it felt... strange, it was warm. She opened her eyes, only to find Naruto standing right in front of her with his palm on her forehead. Her face turned bright red when she noticed that what she just touched was the back of Naruto's hand.

"Oh~. I see...What's wrong, Sayo-chan? Your face is re-BWAGH." Yep, Naruto is really as dense as a brick... No, he's even worse...

"W-Wh-What are you doing?!" Sayo stuttered as Naruto kneeled on the ground with his hands on his stomach. The girl acted on her instinct and punched him slightly when she noticed the distance between them. Moments later, Naruto stood up and gave her a smile. The result what the smile did to Sayo was obvious to everyone, almost everyone.

"Thank you! I promise I'm going to wear it from now on!"

". ..ve yo." She muttered something but the blond was unable to catch it.

"Hmm? What is it, Sayo-chan?"

"N-Nothing... Hurry and leave me to pack my things!"

* * *

**Flashback: END.**

"**T**h**A**t'**S** w**H**y** I** a**G**o**N**i**Z**e**D** h**E**r **S**o **M**e**T**i**C**u**L**o**U**s**L**y! **I**n **F**a**C**t **S**h**E** s**H**o**U**l**D** b**E** g**R**a**T**e**F**u**L** I **T**o**O**k **S**u**C**h **G**o**O**d **C**a**R**e **O**f **H**e**R**!" The sadistic shout of Aria brought Naruto back and he looked to the blonde sadist with merciless reddish eyes before they changed back to his usual ocean-blue color.

"A family of sadists that takes the guise of samaritans... Sorry for getting in your way, Akame..." Leone glared at Aria as she had enough of the sadistic princess but before her companion could execute the guilty blonde, Naruto spoke up.

"Wait a minu-..." He picked up both of his knifes from the ground with massive wave of killing intent but before he could finish what he wanted to do...

"I'LL KILL HER!"

...Tatsumi got ahead of him and finished the girl with a simple yet powerful slash.

"Heheh... That's Tatsumi for you... That felt gre-"***HACK*** Ieyasu smirked before a he started to cough up a massive amount of blood. Naruto immeadiately cut open the cage and carried his friend out of it.

"Hold on, Ieayasu! I'll go back to the mansion and find somethi-"

"It's the last stages of lubora disease..." The red eyed girl, Akame told him as Tatsumi too arrived next to him. "The mistress here enjoyed putting people on drugs and writing how they were doing in a diary..." What came next was probably one of most painful moments in both of the boys life. "He can't be saved anymore."

"You know...guys, Sayo... She didn't submit to that girl, even to the very end... It was so cool..." Ieyasu's throat was filled with blood but he still managed to talk. "Sh-She knew that you two will come and make her pay..." He turned to Naruto. "She really loved you... Naruto. You were the reason why she never gave up." Naruto looked down and clenched both of his into fists. "Sorry, looks like I won't be able to win against you..."

"You dumbass, you've already won the bet. You made it to the capital without my help..." Naruto closed his eyes.

"Hehe...T-Then... I... finally... d-di-did it, right?..." And soon, Ieyasu's willpower completely left his body and the boy died with a smile on his face.

"He was already in a state where he was hanging on by willpower alone..." Akame said it out loud with a concerned look.

Silence filled the warehouse.

"How am I supposed to earn money for our poor village in the capital, if I can't even trust a single person living inside it?" Naruto broke the silence.

He wanted to get up and get Sayo down but someone decided otherwise and pulled out the wire from his belt without a concern and wrapped it around him. "Gotcha'! Now let's go! Akame, get the other one!" Leone grabbed Naruto while smirking and carrying him... bridal style?

"What the hell?!"  
"Let us dig their graves!"

Shouted both Naruto and Tatsumi.

"What's with the wire! And why is a woman carrying a man like this?! Isn't this supposed to be the other way around!" Naruto cried out.

"Oh~ Already thinking about carrying me like this?" Leone teased him as she jumped up to the estate's rooftop and left the area with Akame carrying an equally pissed Tatsumi.

A couple of minutes later, they arrived next to the other members.

"So they're finally back." Said a man who wore a strange armor.

"It'd be bad if we don't retreat soon." Said a boy with green hair and red goggles on top of his head... He looked familiar to Naruto.

"You're late! What were you doing!?... Wait. What are those?" And finished a girl with long pink hair tied in twin-tails.

"They're one of us." Leone said comically and looked at Naruto. "Starting from today, you're one of us! Congrats!"

Naruto and Tatsumi were seriously confused and just wanted to clear their mind for a little time. So much had happened today.

"Mission complete. Let's return!" Akame said she gave Tatsumi to the man in the armor and all of them jumped forward and left the capital.

"Leone. Want me to carry the other handsome too?" The man in the armor asked as huge stars started to appear next the his head.

'_Wha-?_' Naruto sweatdropped.

"Nah-ah. I think he is enjoying being carried by a beautiful Onee-san like me." She teased him yet again.

As they jumped from rooftops tofrom rooftops, Naruto remembered something from yesterday what that bodyguard told him. He looked up to the palace and muttered in a dangerously cold voice.

"The primeminister... Huh?"

**Chapter 1: END.**

* * *

**In Chapter 2: Kill the Truth.**

"If I can save innocent people from certain death by killing the corrupted ones in the capital, then I'm willing to join Night Raid."-

"I'm not happy to say this, but while you already know how to kill a danger beast, you still don't know how to kill a human." Bulat said to Naruto as they moved deeper inside the forest.-

"Leone, the source of the power what Naruto has is not what you think." Najenda said as she looked at Naruto was talking to Lubbock. "Tch, I can't believe that the Empire had decided to do those experiments."-

"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, but can I talk with you in private, Ogre-sama?" Naruto said as his smile soon turned into a smirk while his hood shadowed his face.  
~~

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Naruto's Knife:** It's almost like the original Hiraishin Kunai, with only the blade is longer, thus making the wielder capable to slash with it and the knife doesn't the "marker" on the handle.

Now, to explain why did a make Naruto like this: I wanted to his character weak, so he can change easily. His naive personality will change of course.

**Basic:**

**Name:** Uzumaki Naruto

**Nicknames:** -

**Gender:** Male

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blond

**Likes:** Friends, Ramen and his village.

**Dislikes:** The Empire, Anyone who threatens his friends,

**Teigu:** -

**Harem(?):** Leone, Chelsea and **(?)**

**Personality:** A laid back, kind and helpful 19 years old young man, who is also very protective of his friends. Naruto is a strong-willed boy and despite his lack of physical strength, his incredible speed can easily even the odds.**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**Disclaimer**:** I don't own Akame ga Kill or Naruto... *sniff***

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~ ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~  
**

**Hey Everyone!  
First, thank you all for the Reviews, Favorites and Follows! It means a lot!  
I'd like to apologize for taking so long! I wanted to update earlier but my exams decided to butt in my life.**

**Well then, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Kill the Truth.**

The Empire...

As a boy who grew up in a small village far from the Capital, Naruto always wanted to see the enormous city with his own eyes. At the age of 12, he made a promise to his friends that one day he will go there and make a name for himself... To become a Hero who saves the weak and kicks the bad guys asses with awesome moves, but what does it mean to be a Hero...? Is it just a title? A symbol of Hope?

It doesn't matter now... Three days ago, his whole life had changed. He learned that the government is corrupted, the public orders are eroding and everyone lives in fear and despair. It took two of his friends life to realise that. In a blink of an eye, his dream changed and he no longer cared about being a Hero... He now wanted to fix the Capital he once adored, even if he becomes an assassin.

**xXxXx  
**

* * *

**Three Days Later.**  
**Near Night Raid's Headquarters.**  
**Morning.  
**

* * *

Two lonely figure could be seen standing in front of two gravestones. One looked at the gravestones with his green eyes while the other one stared at the bright sky with a pair of ocean blue ones. Both of them closed their eyes when a warm breeze swept through the green landscapes and made their hair flutter.

"We are... On our own now..." Naruto muttered to himself as he remembered the times he, Sayo, Ieyasu and Tatsumi had spent together. "Hey, Tatsumi... Do you remember the day when we were kids and sneaked into the forest, then found ourselfs face-to-face with a danger beast? Hehe, we could barely get away from it." Even though right now was painful to talk about his childhood friends, Naruto was the older one and he considered it his role to help Tatsumi in these hard times.

"Hehe..." Tatsumi chuckled a little despite his sadness. "Yeah, I'll never forget the beating you got from Sayo for being an idiot while the Chief praised me for surviving the encounter. Ieyasu couldn't stop teasing you about the bruises you recieved from her for a month." The green eyed boy released yet another sad chuckle.

Naruto was glad that he managed to cheer him up a little. These were critical times for the both of them and he knew that it would do no good to keep sulking. "Come on, let's go." He turned around and began to walk away from the gravestones as Tatsumi did the same. "I'm sure that if-"

***Thud***

Naruto widened his eyes as his head got suddenly grabbed then burried into something soft yet dangerously familiar. "Nof afaim!" (Not again!)

"Hey there~! I came to cheer you guys up!" Leone said happily as she hugged Naruto's head to her chest. Tatsumi sweatdropped at sight seeing the struggling Uzumaki who desparetly tried to get out of the young woman's hold.

"Whooa!" Naruto pulled his head out and skipped backwards. "Can you please stop doing that?!" His cheeks lit up from the embarrassment and much to his fear, Leone noticed it and gave him a victorious smile.

"It's been three days since then. Have you two made your decision to become a part of Night Raid?" It didn't really sound like a question. Tatsumi looked like he wanted to say something but he changed his mind in the last few seconds. Naruto already told him yesterday that he is thinking about joining them and it's pointless to run away anyway.

"..." So when Leone recieved no reply from them, she grabbed both of their head and dragged the two back to Night Raid's headquarters with her.

"Gah! My neck" Tatsumi exclaimed because in the past three days, Naruto was the only one who got grabbed by the blonde beauty. Looking to his right, he saw his friend with his '_I don't even care anymore_' face as he accepted the fact that he won't be able to escape from her.

"At any rate, I'll show you guys around the hideout today!" She pointed to the huge building what was mostly covered by the mountains with Night Raid's symbol on it. "By the way it is in the mountains 10 km north of the Capital."

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Night Raid's Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**

* * *

_'Wow, Leone told me that there are 9 members now, including me and Tatsumi... But isn't this a bit big for us?'_ Even though this was Naruto's third day inside the building, he was still impressed by the size of it. He wondered if they had any other way to hide their base of operations, besides the mountains of course. Naruto hadn't really met the other members of the group but the blond guessed that they were busy so he stayed in his own room or in front of his friends graves until the so called _'Boss'_ will arrive.

Stepping inside the Meeting room, Naruto spotted a slender woman with long purple hair and purple eyes, currently sitting at the table while reading a book. To say the least, the young Uzumaki was suprised because he did not see her at Aria's home three days ago.

As the woman tilted her head to the side, her gaze met with Naruto's. The blond's cheeks instantly turned red as he saw the woman's gorgeous figure and almost froze in his place... If she wouldn't have knocked down a glass of water from the table with her hand.

***Break***

"...Eh?" The young woman exclaimed in surprise when the glass fell down to the floor, shattering to pieces. She knelt down in a hurry and began to pick the glass shards up without using anything to cover her hands. "Ouch..." The woman whispered as a particularly sharp pain hit her index finger. Taking a closer look, she saw that a small shard cut her finger but before she could continue to clean the broken glass up, someone appeared in front of her and softly grabbed her hand.

"Here, let me help!" A strong but kind voice said as the person in front of her managed to clean up the mess and gather the shards in a tissue. The young woman couldn't help but blush as she saw the boy with blond hair and ocean blue eyes. In a matter of second, the boy released her hand and pulled out another tissue then gave it to her with a smile on his face.

"T-Thank you." She gently took the tissue and wrapped it around her finger.

"Ooh, what a gentleman~" Leone commented behind them with a huge grin on her face as she basically pulled Tatsumi along with her to the two. "Sorry to interrupt Sheele, but can you shower this little lad with some warm words for me?" She asked the purple haired woman with glasses, Sheele, as she ruffled Tatsumi's hair much to his displeasure.

"Huh? You hadn't made your decision to join yet?" Sheele asked Tatsumi and tilted her head again as a question mark appeared above her.

"W-Well, I know that Naruto had already decided to join but I'm still not sure-" Tatsumi wanted to finish his sentence but the Meeting Room's door suddenly slammed open, revealing a girl with pink hair tied in twin-tails.

"HEEEY!" A tick mark appeared on the girl's forehead as she rudely pointed to Naruto, who was appearently right next to her, trying to throw the tissue with full of glass shards into a trash bin. "Wait a second, Leone! Why are you letting these guys into the hideout?!"

Naruto sweatdropped at her hars words... Man, talk about tsundere. So far, he met with a playful but somehow scary and gorgeous blonde woman, a cold and socially awkward girl with no emotions (at least he didn't see her show any), a friendly but ga-(no, scratch that... He is not an ass to hate people just because of "those" things)... so a friendly but '_wierd' man'_, a green haired boy who appears to be the team's comedian, although Naruto could swear he had seen him somewhere before.

And not too long ago, he met Sheele, a kind but a bit of an airhead woman (not like Naruto had any problems with it) and now, it was about time for him to meet the Final Boss, Night Raid's tsundere, who couldn't stop teasing him on the way back to headquartes, saying that he and Tatsumi wouldn't last a week as an assassin.

"Cause they're one of us now." Leone replied before either him or Tatsumi could but this seemed to only anger the pink-haired girl further.

"No, they aren't one of us yet! They hasn't gotten the Boss's permission, either!" Mine then glared at both Naruto and Tatsumi then crossed her arms in dissapointment. "Hmph, not qualified. It doesn't seem like they'll be able to work with professionals like us at all..."

"Wha!?" Tatsumi yelled.

"Yeah, but we are here now, no? So you are stuck with us even if you like it or not!" Naruto said as a huge thick mark appeared on his forehead but he tried to maintain his anger... he tried. Hearing this, Mine turned her head back to him.

"The maid should stay quiet and continue cleaning the house." Hearing the girl's reply, a huge imaginary brick with the word _**'Maid'**_ carved into it fell down from the sky, crashed through the building and impacted on Naruto's head. So much for keeping his fury in check.

"WHAT WAS THAT, SHRIMP?!" The blond shook off the imaginary brick and glared dangerously at his irritated new teammate as his eyebrows started twitch.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Mine mimicked him, raising her voice in the process. "You were more than happy to clean up that broken glass, so why stop there? Make yourself useful and do something more important other than just living with us like a freeloader."

"THAT'S IT!" He launched himself at her, only to be grabbed by a pair of gentle but strong arms. Leone managed to grab his shirt's collar and hold him back before a disaster could break out. "LET ME AT HER!"

As Naruto struggled to get out of Leone's hold, Mine smirked and gave him a half grimace what only angered the young Uzumaki. "Don't worry about it. Mine is like that to everyone." Leone patted the blond's head as she pulled him out of the Meeting Room with a sweatdropping Tatsumi behind them.

Seeing their retreating figure of Naruto, Sheele smiled and picked up her book in order to continue reading it but before that, she looked to her right to see the still smirking Mine. "He seems like a nice person. What do you think about him?" Sheele asked her in an innocent tone, only to see Mine stumble back a few meter, obviously surprised at hearing such a question.

"W-What are you saying? He won't last a week here so it doesn't matter if he or his little companion is nice. Yes, he should just clean the building..." She nervously looked back to the clumsy woman who responded with a kind smile but Mine clearly misunderstood it's meaning. Seconds later, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room with a loud "HMPH!"

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Headquarters.**  
**Training Grounds.**

* * *

Continuing Leone's little tour around the building, the three eventually arrived at the Training Grounds or_ 'stress release area'_ as she called it.

"Doryaaa!" Battle cries echoed through the area and soon they spotted a half naked man who was appearently in the middle of self training, using a spear. Both Naruto and Tatsumi were amazed at the man's amazing spearhandling skill, although Leone could tell that it caught Tatsumi's attention more than Naruto's.

"And over there, the one who clearly looks like he reeks of sweat, is Bulat." They tour guide pointed to the man who recently stopped with his training and turned around to face them while he wiped the sweat off from his head with a towel.

"Ah. Hey, it's Leone! And, those two are the boys from before!" Bulat greeted them friendly.

"How do you know me?" Tatsumi was surprised that the man knew who he was. Naruto on the other hand had already figured it out from Bulat's voice that he was the man in the armor a few days ago.

"Hm? Was this your first time seeing me like this? I'm the guy that was covered in armor the first time we met." The man pointed to himself with a smile.

"Oh... AAHHH!" Tatsumi shouted as he put the pieces together. How could he forget about that? Though how did he manage to get his hair inside that armor was a mistery to him. Tatsumi shook the man's hand as he awkwardly introduced himself. To say the least, Naruto's introduction was the same.

"Be careful guys, this guy's a homo." Hearing Leone's comment, Tatsumi froze and Naruto took a few steps back.

"Hey, hey. They'd misunderstand, right?" Bulat said innocently as several shining stars appeared around his head. He took a quick glance at the two newbie and saw that both of their eyes were now on the spear what he used before. "Oh, how about we use this time to train a little?" Tatsumi's eyes beamed up with determination but Naruto shook his head.

"Erm, thanks but I'm good. I want to ask a question what was on my mind for a while now from someone, Akame... I think that is her name." Naruto scratched the back of his head as he declined the offer but to his surprise, Bulat gave him a thumbs up as well as Leone.

"Oh, good choice, Naruto." Of course it was 'her' who took the opportunity to tease him.

_'Wha-?'_

Sometimes later, both Naruto and Leone left Tatsumi behind in order to let him learn a little from Bulat. Naruto was actually surprised that Bulat was kind and friendly. Comparing his almost non-existent muscles to his, it felt like Bulat was on a whole different level regarding physical strength. Looks like he too requires some training but first things first, he needs to find Akame.

_***PANT***_

_'Hm?'_ A weird sound caught his attention. He looked around him but did not see anyone. _'Must be my imagination...'_

***PANT***

"Alright, what is this?" Naruto asked Leone as she sighed and waved him off. It sounded like someone was panting.

"Don't worry about it, I take care of him." Not wasting any time, she bolted forward to a nearby bush. Being curious, Naruto followed her. Wait... _'Him?'_

"GWHAAAAAA!"

A loud scream came not too far from the young Uzumaki, who ran towards the source of the voice in a hurry after he heard it. Arriving at the scene, he saw Leone pinning down a green haired boy to the ground while holding one of his arm up, possibly because it looked like she wanted to break it. A light bulb appeared above his head, signifying that he remembered something. Taking a closer look to the still screaming boy, Naruto remembered that he was the one he bumped into at the inn a few days ago. No wonder why he looked familiar.

"You never learn, Lubba."

"Gah! I can still go on... Forever!"_ 'Lubba'_ struggled to get his arm out of Leone's tight hold but failed.

Our protagonist on the other hand was confused and also scared at the murderous face Leone have shown to the poor man on the ground. A part of him was glad that the insane amount teasings were not the only thing she was capable of doing, but now he was also scared at the thought that she can basically pummel him into the ground with just her gaze.

"...And so, this idiot here is Lubbock!"

_'Are they really professional killers...?'_ Naruto couldn't help but sweatdrop. He thought the members would be more... well, they would be more agressive and more assassin-ish? Like cold hearted people without any emotions and whatever? Saying that he was surprised would be an understatement, also the atmosphere was relatively calm and more comical than serious like they were a big family. Funny, he almost forgot about the Empire and what the primeminister did...

Moving on to a nearby riverbed, Leone took glance at Naruto who looked like he was deep in thoughts. "What is it, Naruto? Tired already?"

"..." He continued to follow her in a slower pace without a reply.

"Heey~" She moved closer and pinched his cheek playfully but a bit harder than normal.

This seemed to work as Naruto cried out in pain and placed a hand on his cheek. "W-What? I was just thinking." He said as his pinched cheek turned red while the other turned slightly pink from the embarresment.

"Akame is over there!" Leone pointed forward and as Naruto turned his head, he spotted a familiar girl with black hair, sitting alone on a wooden chair in front of a campfire while cooking... a... Super-high grade risk species, evil-bird? "Isn't she cute?"

***SNAP***

She took a bite of the now fully cooked evil-bird then slowly turned her head around, staring through Naruto's very soul. "Hehe... Y-Ye-Yeah, she's adorable... You were right with the _'she wouldn't hurt a fly_'..." He forced an awkward smile and waved to Akame with shaking hand and she turned back to continue her meal._ 'And three days ago I seriously aimed to win against her.'_

"Did you... become one of us?" Akame turned back with a piece of meat in her hand, questioning Naruto.

"Umm... Not yet, but I want to join so I can change the Capi-" He began but had to stop as she literally threw the meat towards him. Naruto caught it without a problem and looked at her with uncertain eyes.

"Then you should eat too." She told him simply.

Not having a reason to refuse or to be rude, Naruto gathered his strength and began to eat with the others with an obviously awkward expression. It was only recently that he started to realize that it was about time to eat something else other than ramen.

"But still, Akame, aren't you being extravagant today?" Leone asked her comrade between two bites.

"The Boss is back."

This seemed to catch Naruto's interest. He looked behind then to his sides just in case but nobody was there. It was then when he realised that Night Raid's supposed Boss was sitting on the other side of the evil-bird. She is a woman with short silver hair and purple eyes. The two most noticeable traits she has are the eyepatch where her right eye used to be and a mechanical right arm.

_'Guess she's the boss for a reason.'_ Naruto thought as he looked at her injuries.

"Yo!" The_ 'Boss'_ greeted them with a wave then focused on Leone. "Now that you're here, Leone, in the job three days ago... It seems you want over the operation time, eh?" Even if her tone was normal, all of them could tell that Leone was in trouble. Not taking any chances, Leone turned around and ran as fast as she could, however, the silver haired woman fired her prosthetic hand and caught the escaping Leone who in turn dug her nails into the ground to prevent the inevitable.

Naruto grinned at the scene. "After all the teasings she had put me through, it's quite hard to feel sorry for her." He crossed his arms with his smirk never leaving his face. Throwing Leone's punishment aside, he took this opportunity to talk with the still eating Akame. "Hey, Akame, can I ask you something?" She nodded.

"Have we met before? I mean before that night three days ago?"

She stopped eating for a few seconds then turned her head to the blond. "No." Was the only word Naruto got and he sweatdropped at the girl's simple answer.

"W-Well... I had this weird dream where I saw a young girl who looked excatly like you... but I guess I was mistaken." He turned around with a sorrowful face and walked away, giving her space to eat peacfully. However, Akame could no longer continue her meal as she started at the campfire, thinking about what her new companion said.

"Akame... Gather everyone, including the other new recruit in the Meeting Room." Boss said as she put on her black coat with Night Raid's symbol on it's backside. Now that Naruto thinks about it, he forgot to speak with her. He still doesn't know her name and the reason why does she know his.

_'Oh well, I'll come and learn them soon enough...'_

* * *

**Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**

* * *

After Akame gathered everyone in the Meeting Room the Boss, Najenda, began to ask questions from Tatsumi, who looked uncertain about joining to Night Raid. After explaining that no matter what, they can't let him go after seeing the headquarters, it was still Tatsumi's choice to join Night Raid or work as a laborer in the Revolution Army's workshop. A few encouraging words from Bulat seemed to convince Tatsumi that the only way to permanently save his and Naruto's village is to exterminate the Capital's ticks, including the ringleader, the primeminister.

After welcoming Tatsumi to the path of carnage, Najenda turned to Naruto. "It's nice to finally see you, Naruto. I heard that you already determined to join us, so I guess we can skip the unnecessary words and welcome you too in Night Raid." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Now, I'll be blunt and just cut to the chase." Najenda's voice turned darker. "Naruto, do you remember anything before your 10th birthday? The location of your home? Who you were with? Anything?"

Naruto stiffened as he heard the sudden questions._ 'What is with these questions?'_ He never really thought about the reason he couldn't remember his childhood's earlier parts but he didn't care about it. "I don't remember anything, really... The villagers took me in when I was around... 10... Wait, so something really_ 'did'_ happen." He placed a hand on his chin.

Najenda looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Naruto, did those villagers tell you anything? Where did they find you?" Naruto shook his head.

"Not really, the chief told me that they've managed to find me in time but with a head injury, that was the cause of my memory loss. Since I didn't remember anything or anyone, I wanted to leave it at that until I regain a part of my memory but even though I whised to know who my parents were, my memories never came back."

"What?! A head injury? I know that it was more than 9 years ago but I can clearly remember that you looked fine." Tatsumi interrupted as the others began to focus to the conversation, even Mine.

"That's just confirms it." Najenda then focused her gaze on Naruto. "Naruto, you were born and raised in the Capital until a few months befor your 9th birthday." She said as Naruto's eyes widened in horror. He was born in the Capital? The place where he always wanted to go? Is this some kind of joke?

"What?! How do you know that? The chief said that they found me not far from the village. It's impossible for a child to walk that much without food or water. Or was that a lie too?!" Naruto raised his voice not because if it was true that the Capital was his new birthplace but because of the fact that the chief lied to him all along. "Why did they lie? What is so important with me coming from the Capital?"

"I understand that you're angry, but they did that to protect you." Hearing this, Naruto seemed to calm down a bit but his head was still spinning around because of the informations. "In the past, I served the Empire as one of it's General. 10 years ago I was still just a regular officer but that was the time when I first heard about the primeminister's new plan to 'protect' his precious Capital." She rested her head on her left hand. "More than 1000 years ago, the First Emperor wanted to prevent the Empire's fall, so he gathered scientist and researchers throughout the world to make powerful weapons and defenses, they were called, Teigu."

"Teigu?" Both Naruto and Tatsumi asked in confusion.

"They are mysterious and extremely powerful relics, like the katana Akame has, but let's leave that for later. 400 years ago, an Emperor of that time sought to create newer, stronger weapons that could surpass the Teigu. The Emperor then set out to create new artifacts and was ultimately successful. However, the new items that were developed did not match the strength of any Teigu. Feeling shame at his failure, he ordered the Shingu to be sealed away."

"Umm, question!" Naruto raised his hand. "This is nice, informative and everything but what does this have to do with me?"

"Even though you were born inside the Capital, you really are a country bumpkin." Mine said bitterly at hearing Naruto's unnecessary question.

"Why...You!"

"Quiet, both of you!" Najenda sighed. "This is where your part comes in. 9 years ago, the primeminister wanted use the Shingu to benefit the Empire, but before he could give some of them to an elite assassination division of the Empire, the Elite Seven, he wanted to test the true limits of the Shingu. He gathered 20 children from whereever he could, including one of his supposed 'failure son' and planted the Shingu inside their body." The room became silent as everyone's face showed disgust.

"P-Planted, you mean-?"

"They forced the children to drink the Shingu's liquid form. I don't know the details how they managed to turn the solid weapons into liquid, but the results were horrible. The 'subjects' as the primeminister liked to call them died one by one in an horribly painful way. I don't really want to tell the details, but the Shingu destroyed them from inside out."

"He booked all of the 20 children as failures and told the guards to threw them out to the streets. That was time when I found two of them in an alleyway. I went up to them to check if they're alive but the first one... didn't even look human. Then I heard a loud chough and saw that the other one was still alive, barely. He had blond hair and blue eyes with his name sewed into his rag what the prison guards called cloth."

Naruto widened his eyes as he looked down to the ground. "...Then..."

"Yes, his name was Naruto. With some help, we were able to stabilize you, then sometimes later, one of your helper told me that he will gladly take you in and bring you to a far away village. First, I didn't trust the man, but I found his words sincere." She took a break before proceeding to continue. "It was later, that I've come to learn about the experiments and the fact that the Shingu inside your body accepted you. Also, the reason why Leone and Akame wanted to bring you here is because I told them about you and what the Empire did, I was quite surprised when I heard that they've found the 'whiskered blonde'  
from my story."

***Silence***

Taking all the information in, Naruto was still looking down to the ground in horror. "So the experiments are the reasons for my memory loss." It was more like a statement than a question but Najenda nodded nonetheless. "And the primeminister is the ringleader for all the suffering and pain that me and the other 19 children were went through." Another nod came from Najenda. "Hehe...Fine, let them come! One more reason to butcher that bastard as long as his body and mind can take it-" Naruto's eyes were overflown with anger but before he could let it out, a strong arm have come to rest on his head.

"I know that you're angry and I promise that you'll have your chance to repay him, but for now, compose yourself." It was Bulat who managed to calm the young Uzumaki down. He was right, the primeminister is probably inside his cute little chambers in the Capital, so as long as the bastard's not in front of him, he'll do his best to stay calm.

"I get it. I won't do anything stupi-."

"Intruders! Najenda-san!" Everyone turned their attention to Lubbock. "They've all infiltrated close to the hideout!"

"They're good, to sniff out this place means they're probably mercenaries of another race." Najenda said calmly as she lighted her cigarette. "There's no other way. It's an emergency sortie. Don't let any of them return alive!"

Right after these words left Najenda's mouth, everyone turned around and ran through the door, leaving a confused Tatsumi and Naruto behind in the dust. "Eh... Ah... I guess we are going too?" Naruto mumble to himself then looked at Tatsumi. "Alright, let's go!"

* * *

**15 minutes later.**  
**Outside.**

* * *

"'Let's use our teamwork', is what I said..." In nearby a forest, Naruto could been running with high speed as his grey coat blew in the wind. "But I completely lost sight of him...!" Imaginary tears rolled down on his cheeks as he was now all alone.

"Ooh, you're here, Naruto!" Came a playful voice from his left and moments later, Lubbock appeared right next to him.

"Lubbock!" Naruto was glad that he was now with a more experienced member.

"Say, Naruto, wanna tag along? Cross Tail recently caught an intruder and I would be happy if you can watch my back until I take care of her. Also, you can call me Lubba if you want." He said as they made their way to the mountains.

"Sure! It's better than going alone." Naruto nodded. "By the way, what is _Cross Tail _?"

"Oh, it's my Teigu!" Lubbock raised one of his hand and showed Naruto his gloves with wire threads running through them. "Infinite Uses: Cross Tail. It can be used in various ways to attack, defend against, or immobilize opponents. Also, Cross Tail's threads were created from the body hair of an Ultra-Class dragon-like Danger Beast that lived in the Eastern region's mountains, high among the clouds. Cool isn't it?" Lubba continued to talk about his Teigu and how versatile it is, but Naruto lost it somewhere after the Ultra-Class Danger Beast.

_'An Ultra Class? How the hell did they manage to pull that off?!'_ He deadpanned.

"We are here." And just like that, they arrived in front of a cave. Naruto remembered that Lubbock said that his Teigu captured an intruder, so he figured out that his Cross Tail is capable of setting up traps. It amazed him that he still had traps so far away from the headquarters.

"A cave?" He asked from no one in particular then followed Lubba inside the cave. It was dark but Naruto still saw several other paths leading to their location. 'The bandit must have used one of these tunnels to sneak inside our territory.

"I thought the weight of the threads felt light, but it was a girl, huh." It was then, that Naruto saw a girl caught up in Lubbock's threads and currently hanging in mid air.

"U...gh..." The girl tried to cry out in pain. "Save me! Please! I'll do anything!" She begged Lubba but received no response from him.

Naruto, getting confused stepped next to him. "W-Wait, a second, Lubba. You can't just kill her, right? She's harmless now."

Lubbock took a quick glance at his teammate but then turned back to look at the girl with now emotionless eyes. "Nope, she isn't." Moments later, he pulled back the threads with his hands cut the girl's main arteries with them. Naruto looked away and closed his eyes, not being able to see the girl's last moments. "Take a look, Naruto." Lubba insisted him to look at the girl again.

"Huh?" Naruto reverted his gaze back to the now dead girl. Taking a closer look he was able to see several needles and a small knife, hidden in her clothes.

"No matter how innocent her face was, she was ready to stab us in the back. I knew a guy who died by getting tricked by seduction." Lubbock sighed as he used his threads to let the girl go. "Ah~ What a waste! It's such a painful occupation in time like thes- Naruto, behind you!"

Naruto widened his eyes for a moment, but quickly acted on his instincts, grabbed one of his knifes with his right hand and countered the bandit's sneak attack with a powerful backslash, creating a small shockwave what caused the bandit to take a few steps back.

The person looked like an ordinary bandit with his grin never leaving his face. "My-my, you looked like someone valuable from the distance... Heh, turns out you're just a kid." He pointed his shortsword to Naruto. "Oh well, time to die!" He rushed forward and prepeared his strike.

Lubbock, having enough of him stepped forward but he soon got stopped by Naruto. "Lubba, let me handle this." Hearing his request, he went back to his previous spot, giving Naruto space to fight.

"HAHA!" The man raised his sword and used his momentum to strike the blond.

Naruto on the other hand blinked several times as he saw the bandit's movement. _'He is incredibly slow.'_ Without much effort, he sidestepped out of the sword's way and focused on it. A horizontal slash, a strike to his neck, Naruto saw right through his opponent and stepped out all of the attacks way, not breaking a sweat._ 'So there's no other way then...'_ He now understood that there was no way for him to end the fight without killing the bandit.

In a blink of an eye, Naruto, wanting to put an end to this fight, stepped forward into the man's personal space and knocked the sword out of his hands. "It's over." He said smoothly as the bandot's eyes widened in horror. Naruto prepeared his knife and delievered a diagonal slash from top-left to bottom-middle to the man's chest. As his knife quickly approached the ground, he readjusted his wrist and performed another diagonal slash from bottom-middle to top-right. The combined trajectory of the two hits created a deep '**v**' like wound on the man's chest, who got pushed up into the air by the attack and soon dropped to the ground, dead.

"You did it!" Lubba walked up to Naruto and patted his shoulder.

"It's not something I'm proud of." Naruto said while looking at the fallen man's body. "I don't know if I can get used to this..."

"And you shouldn't get used to it but it's not like we can throw the Emperor out of his armchair with only some cheesy words. We-or at least I, only kill because I have to. If we don't change a thing, a couple more years and the Empire is done for." Lubbock said, although he felt like someone was staring at him. Looking back, he saw that Naruto was looking at him with a confused face. "What?"

"I thought you were more like a joker than a serious type of person but I admit it, that was pretty cool." Naruto said as he sweatdropped.

"Hey, I have my moments!" Lubba said. "I won't stop until I make Najenda-sa- I mean until I change the Empire!" He hoped that Naruto did not hear him but he already eyed him strangely with his arms crossed and one of his eyebrow raised. "Anyway! Let's go back!"

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**In front of Night Raid's Headquarters.  
Night.**

* * *

"Nice work on your first battle, Naruto, Tatsumi." Najenda congratulated them for coming back alive from their first fight.

They were currently celebrating the joining of Naruto and Tatsumi outside. Bulat was standing on a nearby table, releasing loud battle cries, Leone kept encouraging Naruto to join Bulat every now and then, Lubbock was sleeping next to a tree, Sheele was probably somewhere else, reading a book, Akame ate next to Najenda and Mine tried to separate herself from the others, saying that she doesn't know them or something like that.

As for Naruto and Tatsumi, they were currently in front of Najenda, talking about their training. "In order to survive, I see that you two need someone to teach you a lot of things. Tatsumi, team up with Akame and learn from her." Before the mentioned brunette culd say anything, Najenda turned to Naruto. "Naruto, you said that you can feel it when you're near a Teigu..."

"Yeah, I felt it when I met Leone and Lubbock at the inn and also when I fought against Akame." Naruto answered, though he didn't know what Najenda wanted with this conversation.

"I see, than can you tell me how many Teigu is around us and where?"

"Umm, I can try..." Naruto closed his eyes as he focused on the Shingu inside his body. He suddenly felt 3 strange presence and opened his eyes. "Right now I can sense 3 Teigu." He pointed to Lubba's sleeping figure. "Lubba has his Teigu with him, then Leone also has hers, I don't know what or where but it's definitely on her, and finally..." He slightly widened his eyes as the Teigu's presence came from a nearby tree. "...The third one is on that tree."

"Impressive... Akame!" Najenda gave Akame a nod and the red eyes girl jumped to the tree and retrieved her katana. "That confirms it. Naruto, tomorrow you will team up with Lubbock and go to the Capital." Naruto blinked first, not really understanding the situation but then nodded. "That's all."

It didn't take poor Naruto 3 minutes but he got already dragged away back to the others by Leone. However, seeing everyone's smiling faces, he couldn't help but feel like they were one big family. _'Sayo-chan, Ieyasu... I won't let you guys down!'_

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Tomorrow.**  
**Naruto's Room.**  
**Morning.**

**xX~Dream~Xx**

* * *

Cold...

He couldn't describe it better... It was cold... Was it because the amount of alcohol Bulat made him drink or did he just simply fall down from his bed? Naruto brought his hand up to his forehead, rubbing his temple before he slowly opened his eyes. He sat up on the cold ground and looked around.

**"W-What the-!?"** The first thing he recognized was that place around him. He was no longer in his room but more like dungeon-like cell in which prisoners are held. Since the only source of light was a small candle outside of his cell, his eyes required some time to adjust. **"Where the hell am I?"**

***Sniff*... *Sniff***

As he was about to investigate the cell further, he heard someone sobbing behind him. Turning around, Naruto's eyes was now fully adjusted to the dark and he was now able to see a young girl with short black hair in a twintail style desperately trying to wake another young child up as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. The child in question had blond hair and... three... whisker-like marks on both of his cheek? **"That's..."**

"Naruto... Naruto, wake up!" The girl begged the sleeping child as she pushed him a little harder. Seeing how fragile and scared the girl looked, the Naruto who stood behind her felt like his heart was shattering into small pieces. He didn't know why, but he wanted to protect her.

**"That's me..."**

Few seconds later, Naruto's younger version started to wake up. After opening his eyes, he immediately sat up and placed both of his tiny hands on the girl's shoulders. "What's wrong?!" He asked her in an obviously worried voice.

"I-I remembered again... When they took away my Big Sis..." The girl moved her head to Naruto's chest as he wrapped his arms around her, embracing her.

"We find her... We definitely find her..." He tightened the hug. "As long as I can breath, I protect you no matter what!"

"P-Promise...?"

Naruto let her go and looked deep inside her black eyes with a determined look and gave her a kind smile. "Hehe... It's a promise of a lifetime!"

It was then, that the cell bars swung open, startling the two shild and then revealing two prison guards. "Hohooo... Look at them, ain't they cute?" Said one while the other laughed.

The younger Naruto stood up and got in front of the girl with his hands streched out in a protective way. "Leave her alone!" He tried to yell but couldn't raise his voice enough, probably because of fear.

The guards looked amused by the scene and slowly stepped forward. "Is that so?" They appeared in front of him. "Then it's your lucky day, because we're here for you, you little shit!" One of the guards grabbed him by his cloth and proceeded to drag him out of the cell. "Sorry~ No _Group of Terror_ for you, but you should be grateful, you're in the lucky 20! HAHAHA!"

"L-LET ME GO!" He struggled but it was impossible for him to get out. "I won't die! I will find a way to get out, then... then I'll come and get you!" He looked at her.

"NARUTO!" The girl cried out.

"KUROME!" And after that, the bars were closed yet again...

Meanwhile, our Naruto who was still inside the cell looked at the girl, wide eyes.**_ 'I...I remember her...'_** He thought as the girl moved back to a corner and began to cry. **"Kuro...me?"** And as if the name was a signal, the cell began to shatter around Naruto like it was glass, thus ending the dream...

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

"Haa!" Naruto's eyes shot open. It took him some time to register the sunlight streaming in through the curtains and the fact that he was no longer in that dream... Or more like memory. "Looks like I'm back in my room." He sat up in his bed.

"Oh, you're awake~!" The door opened to reveal Leone with her usual smile.

"..." Naruto kept staring at his blanket, ignoring the blonde woman completely. Getting teased by her again was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Leone sat down on his bed next to him but instead of trying to tease him, she was concerned and waited for him to tell her the reason why he was dejected.

"I failed..." He gripped the blanket. "I remembered a part of my life before_ 'that'_ happened. I promised a girl that I'll protect her as long as I live, no matter what. Even though I broke my promise, it pains me more to think that I have completely forgotten about her." He wanted to continue but Leone reached out to him and place a hand to the back of his head.

Naruto prepared to crash into her bosom but the familiar felling never came. Instead whe he opened his eyes, he found that his head was resting on her shoulder and the usual bearhug was repleaced by a gentle one.

"Say, Leone. Does Akame have a sister?" At his question, he could feel that Leone stiffened.

"Yeah, she has a younger sister. She only told me about her once but her name is K-"

"Kurome. She is the girl I promised to protect..." He gritted his teeth...

"Then your promise is still active." She said as Naruto looked up to her stunning figure. "She is still alive, Akame can confirm it." Hearing this, Naruto depressed aura immediately disappeared, at least until Leone's tone turned darker. "But Naruto, you said that you'd protect her no matter what."

"...Yeah!" He nodded.

"Does that still apply if she is serving the Empire?" He widened his eyes for a moment. So if it comes down to that, they could meet on the battlefield? But still, Kurome looked innocent, kind and mindful. Even though he only remembers a small part when he was with her, there's no way in hell that he will just going to let her be brainwashed by the Empire.

"You need to ask? Even if I'm 9 years late, a friend is a friend."

"...If only it was easy as that." Leone whispered.

"Hmm? You said something?"

"Nothing. I hope you know what you're doing." She said then stood up.

"Leone." Before she could leave the room, Naruto called out to her. "Thanks!" He smiled.

She didn't expect him to thank her with such a smile. Leone felt her cheeks heat up and she gave him a quick nod as if saying _'No problem'_. "Oh, and you might want to check up on Mine. She said it's important." Not giving him a chance to ask for more details, she quickly left his room.

_'Huh, Mine? Did I hear that right?... Now that I think about it, why was Leone in my room?'_

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Kitchen.**

* * *

It wasn't necessary for Tatsumi to say that he was pissed. No... It was already obvious to everyone. He thought he would go onsome incredibly dangerous missions with Akame, but turns out his new job is to cook the base's meals. "Damn it! I'm an assassin, yet all I do day after day is cook!" He mumbled as he chopped up the vegetables and added them to the simmering pot.

"It cannot be helped." Akame told him as she took a sample of the ingredients. "I am responsible for cooking the base's meals, and naturally now that you teamed up with me, that duty falls to you as well."

***Munch***

"Where exactly is the cooking? All I see you doing is "sampling" the ingredients!" Tatsumi pointed to Akame as a thick mark formed on his forehead.

"That is not true."

***Munch***

"You suck at lying, you know." Tatsumi continued to prepeare the ingredients as a new presence appeared behind him and Akame.

"At least you can enjoy what you're doing..." Came an incredibly monotone but familiar voice but no matter how hard he tried, Tatsumi was unable to identify the person.

Turning around, he saw Naruto in a, quite strange outfit. He wore a pale white cleaning uniform, yellow rubber gloves and a red kerchief while holding a mop in his hand. "BWAHAHAHA! What is that?!" Tatsumi fell down on his knees, clutching his stomach and surrendering himself to the wild laughter.

"Stop the celebration and continue cooking!" Naruto yelled.

"And why are you look like Ieyasu's grandmother?" Tatsumi said as he had a hard time catching his breath.

" 'Cause all of the housework is mine now..." His eyes twitched.

"Hahahaaaa..."

"Get the hell back to your frickin' kitchen!" Even Akame smiled a little at the conversation between the two.

Moments later the others, Sheele, Bulat, Mine and a sulking Lubbock stepped inside the kitchen. "...Huh? Are you all going out on a mission?" Tatsumi asked as Mine nodded with a smirk.

"Not everyone. Lubbock is going with the housemaid over there to show him our hideout in the Capital while we take care of a request to eliminate someone."

That was that's the last straw for Naruto as flames started to form around and his figure and he broke the mop in half with his grip."What the hell?! First, you order me to do the housework then you make me wear this embarrassing outfit just to satisfy your stupid urges-BVAGH?!" Night Raid's Pink Tsundere then reached out for the book Sheele was currently reading and threw it right into Naruto's face.

"A newbie shouldn't talk back! Remember, your precious ramen is on the line!" She then picked up Sheele's book, dusted it off and gave it back to the seemingly hurt young woman. "You should be thankful I even let that disgusting food stay on the table!"

"You say that, even when you know that Najenda-san likes Shio Ramen." Lubba commented from the background with a sweatdrop rolling down his face.

Naruto grunted as he massages his forehead where the book hit him. "Fine, but don't expect to wake up with the same hair color, shrimp..." He mumbled but to his surprise, Mine glared at him morderously.

"I don't believe I heard you correctly!"

"Nothing!" Naruto, wanting to avoid yet another unnecessary battle of words, turned around and continued cleaning the headquarters.

"Naruto! Don't start anything serious, we're going too!" Lubbock informed him as he looked at his pocket watch.

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Before Noon.**

* * *

"Back again..." Naruto said it to no one in particular as he observed the people's faces around him. "There are sure a lot of glum-looking people." He had his hands inside his coat's pockets while following Lubbock.

***Sigh*** "Well, that's what normally happens if a country's leader is incompetent and pays no attention to it's people..." Lubba said without looking back to the blond, eyeing the huge palace with disgust. "We're here." He grabbed a key from his pockets and used it to open a nearby store's front door.

"Booknight?" Naruto questioned as he read the sign. Before he could go inside, Lubba gave him a sign with his hand to stop.

"Wait." He then pointed to Naruto's left. "Look!" Naruto turned his head only to see two young woman talk while sitting in outside of a nearby cafe. One of them was a girl of average height with waist-length brown hair, black eyes but her E+ Cup was her most noticable trait. Managing to get his gaze away from her breast, Naruto looked at the girl in front of her, who was noticably smaller and had blonde hair which was tied into two ponytails. Her bust size was also smaller but considering that Naruto almost suffocated in Leone's bosom, that was a plus... Wait, why the hell does he think about such things?

"What's with them? They are just two norma-"

"Which one?" Lubba cut in and asked him dead serious.

"What?"

"Confess! Which one is your type?!"

...

**Five Minutes Later.**

"Aah, sometimes it's really a pain to keep this shop running." Lubbock said as he dusted off several books and placed them on their prescribed place. He told Naruto that the store's main purposes were to give him a less suspicious persona, a cover basically, and to gather information from the customers.

"So, how do you do it? I mean the information gathering?" The blond asked out of the blue as he admired the bookstore. Sure, Naruto wasn't a huge fan of books but Sayo basically forced him to read so he had no other choice but to obey out of fear, even if she was a couple of years younger than him.

"While I'm not as good as Leone, it's easier than canstantly sneaking into enemy territory. You would be surprised to hear what normal people or emperial soldiers talk about on their days off. What are just 'completely nonsense' to them, could actually be-"

"Valuable information to us?"

"Exactly." Lubba smiled. "I try to keep the customers talking with some simple questions like_ 'What is their job'_, the rest is simple." As Lubba finished placing the books, he sighed and moved in front of the wall at the far end of the store.

"Sounds like you're good with words..."

"I was actually once part of the Imperial Military, so I know my way around." Despite not showing it, Naruto was surprised at the sudden declaration.

***BAM***

Naruto turned his head to Lubbock as he opened a passage through the wall, a secret room well hidden from the humans eyes. "This is it." Lubbock said as he pointed downstairs to the hidden mini-hideout and began walking down with Naruto behind him. "I might as well leave today's hot topic to the others and say that this is the Capital Hideout."

"Whoa, this place really does give off a_** 'Secret Base'** _kind of vibe!" Naruto threw himself on nearby sofa, looking at the various requests and wanted posters pinned up to the wall.

"Right? Also, Najenda-san said that I just have to show the hideout, so you can either help me with the shop or go back to the others, it's your call..."

* * *

**Night Raid's Headquarters.**  
**Dining Room.**

* * *

"...And that's pretty much it. I helped Lubba for a few hours then made my way back here." Naruto, Najenda, Tatsumi, Akame and Leone were sitting in the Dining Room, eating lunch while the blond filled the others in on what happened on his little tour in the Capital. "But seriously Tatsumi... You've only caught two River Tuna?"

"I-It can't be helped! At least I got two!" He couldn't help but feel embarrased as he remembered the amount that Akame caught.

"Leone, tell me about the request we received a few days ago." Najenda said as she put down her chopsticks, gaining both Tatsumi's and Naruto's attention. In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere in the room took a 180 degree turn.

"Our targets are Ogre of the Capital Guards, and an oil merchant named Gamal." She placed two posters with the targets facial features on the table. "The client told that Ogre has been accepting bribes from Gamal and every time the oil merchant commits a crime, he will frame someone to take the blame for him. The client's late fianc was one of the many victims sentenced to death. She literally begged me on her knees as she cried." Her anger was obvious for everyone. She threw a sackful of money onto the table. "This is the payment for the job."

"That person saved up this much money?" Tatsumi stared at the sack while Leone's blonde hair shadowed her eyes.

"I caught the scent of a venereal disease from her... So she must have been selling her body to earn all of that..."

***SLAM***

Everyone, even Akame were surprised as they heard Naruto slamming his hand on the table. "Committing a crime is one thing... But blaming it on someone else, destroying other people's life by it is entirely different." Naruto stood up from his chair and looked down at his hand on the table. "The one who who is responcible for the deaths... is this Ogre guy, right?" Despite his calm and quiet tone, Naruto was pissed. Not just at Ogre but also at the court of law for accepting such a thing. "I'll take care of him!" He declared.

***Silence***

"Swinging your blade with a cleared mind and out of anger are different and can lead to two vastly different outcome." Akame's words brought Naruto back to the real world and caused him to look at her with narrowed eyes.

"You're saying that I shouldn't be angry at such a freak?!" His piercing gaze had no affect on Akame as she easily overpowered her own emotionless stare.

"I'm saying that you should clear your mind." Her words took him by surprise. "As you are now, you stand no chance..."

"But what Naruto said is true. We can't just sit here debating, there may be other innocent people being framed for crimes they didn't commit!" It was Tatsumi's time to stand up. He looked at Najenda with determined eyes. "The feeling of your most cherished person being cruelly taken away..." He began.

"-I don't want anyone to have to experience that loss..." And like he could read in Tatsumi's mind, Naruto finished as he gripped his orange shirt what Sayo made him.

"Understood, I appreciate your decision. Naruto, Ogre's all yours!" Najenda smirked as Naruto nodded. "We will deliver divine ounishment upon the heads of these heinous monsters, and send them to the hereafter." She turned to Tatsumi. "Tatsumi, I leave Gamal to you and since the security is tight around the palace, we can't risk Akame going with Naruto so she'll go with you." She then turned to Naruto. "As I said, Ogre is yours but Leone will stay close just in case."

"You got it, Boss!" Naruto smiled as he clenched his right hand. It looked like he was deep in thoughts for a moment but then he stepped forward and made his way to the still sitting Akame.

"Is there something you need?" She asked with a straight face.

"I..." He gathered his thoughts and made up his mind. "I know this will sound stupid but I made up my mind to change the Capital and if I have to kill achieve it, so be it..." His ocean-blue orbs met with her red eyes. "That's why I'm definitely going to succeed and make you see me in a new light...!" Meanwhile, the others watched the two with great interest.

"Is that a statement?"

"A promise." Naruto finished with his signature smile.

After a few seconds filled with silence, Akame closed her eyes and stood up from her chair then without looking at Naruto, made her way out of the Dining Room before stopping for a moment. "Then don't die." Akame said as she exited from the room. Unlike Naruto and the others, Najenda was able to see the smile and the slighly flushed cheeks of the red-eyed assassin as she left.

_'Tatsumi, Naruto... I'm glad that the two of you joined us.'_ Najenda thought then proceeded to tell the two young men the mission in details.

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Main Street.**  
**Sunset.**

* * *

_**'"Okay, Listen up! Taking out the oil merchant will be simple, but will be a formidable opponent. He usually spends his time out on patrols with his subordinates but on his days off he leaves the Garrison... And spends the day drinking on Main Street, **__**close to the Palace. Because of this, the only time to attack would be-"'**_

_'-Now!'_ Naruto thought as he looked up to the now star filled sky with ice cold eyes. He grabbed the hood on his gray trench coat carefully with the tips of his fingers to prevent it from falling back from his head as he stared at the sky. He took a deep breath, then reverted his stare back to a big square what lead to the Main Street. His ocean-blue eyes began to glow from beneath the hood._ 'There she is.'_ Naruto spotted his teammate and walked up to her.

"Had your fill?" Leone, who gave him a thumbs up asked as she pointed towards the Main Street before Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Just like Lubba said, I can't change this country with some cheesy words so it's time to take action. Even if I would rather avoid killing."

"Well, I see that you have already put your 'business face' on, so it's time to turn up your hero level to the maximum!~" Leone gave him a bright smile which somehow made Naruto's cheeks flush, although since he was dense as a brick, he didn't know why. "Good hunting!"

"Yeah!"

**xXxXxXx**

**'Soldiers, merchants, civilians, slaves, beggars... Is this really the Main Street?' **Naruto wandered around the street while trying to spot his target. He remembered his appearance from the poster and that he has only one eye so it shouldn't be too hard. Walking with his hood over his head and his hands in his pockets, he soon saw a little boy, no older than 8 behind a small bowl with his younger sister sitting next to him, both begging for money. The despair on their face were obvious but not caring about that several imperial soldier still found the scene amousing and begin to laugh at the poor siblings.

Hearing the humiliating snicker, tears started to dwell in the girl's eyes while the boy looked down to the ground, propably because of feeling hopeless. As they were about to get up from the cold ground and dirt off their rags, several sharp sounds came from the direction of their bowl. Moments later as the two looked ahead of them, both found a loaf of bread sitting on their lap and a few coin in their bowl. Searching for their savior, they spotted a figure wearing a grey trench coat with a hood covering his face.

Guessing that he was a man, the young boy stood up and bowed to him. "T-Thank you Mister!" But without saying a word or showing his face, the misterious man moved on with ease.

_'Tch!_' Naruto cursed in his mind as he couldn't gather enough strength to look back to the two child. _'I know I can't save everyone but I can't just let people die either!'_

"We just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done..." Naruto turned his head to a nearby conversation and sharpened his eavesdropping skills. Appearently, two normal looking people were thanking a large muscular man with black hair that is graying near his temples.

"...And thank you for the other day, Ogre-sama!" Taking a closer look at the said man, Naruto saw a large star-shaped scar over his missing left eye. He immediately identified him as Ogre, the Demon. It was the icing on the cake when the other civilian said his name.

_'Found him!'_

"No problem. Come to me with whatever troubles you have any time." Ogre said with a smile but the young Uzumaki could easily see that it was fake. He made up his mind and stepped behind him, slightly tilting his head down to let his hood do it's job.

"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, but can I talk with you privately, Ogre-sama?" Naruto asked as his smile soon turned into a smirk."

"What...?" Ogre turned around. "Spit it out then!"

_'Think, Naruto! You can't fight him in the open... Think! Tatsumi was always good at these things! What would he do?'_ An idea came to his head. "Talking about it in the open like this would be a little problematic... Can I ask you in somewhere less emberrassing place?"

"Huuuh? Then cut it short, I'm busy!" Feeling the taste of success, Naruto began to lead Ogre to a nearby alleyway.

_**"If we don't change a thing, a couple more years and the Empire is done for."**_

_'I want to change this country, no matter what!'_

_**"Swinging your blade with a cleared mind and out of anger are different and can lead to two vastly different outcome."**_

_'I need to clear my head and focus on the mission!'_

_**"Naruto... Naruto, wake up!"**_

_'Yeah, Kurome... It's time to wake up.'_

***Step***

"Alright, this place is fine, right?" Ogre said impatiently as he crossed his arms but Naruto remaind silent and refused to turn around. He was just standing there, unmoving. "Hey! I'm talking to you, you snot nosed little shi-"

"Ogre-sama..." Naruto began with an unrecognizably cold voice while turning his head around, slowly. "... **I**'m **G**o**I**n**G** t**O** k**I**l**L** y**O**u**!**" His voice was quiet but powerful as a huge wave of whirlwind begin to circle around him for a few millisecinds.

_'This massive wave of killing intent!'_ Ogre gasped as he quickly reached for his sword on his left side.

***BAM***

"H-Huh?" It felt strange. Ogre was sure that he reached down to grab his sword, but why did his arm suddenly turn numb? Looking down, he was right on time to see his arm falling down to the ground as a great amount of blood shot out from where his right hand should have been. Reverting his gaze back to the hooded boy, the man saw that Naruto was now holding a bloodied knife but still standing in his usual place with his back facing him. _'Impossible, to think that I, Ogre, the Demon was unable to see him move...!'_

"Everyone dies..." Naruto said and he disappeared in a blue blur then reappeared behind the shocked Ogre with his knife pointing to the back of his neck.

"...Looks like it's your turn today!" He finished as he made a quick slash with his knife, separating the man's head from his body. Not taking a moment of break, he sheathed his tri-pronged knife and walked away from the scene in silence.

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Night Raid's Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**  
**Night.**

* * *

"Good job on dealing with the target! Excellent work!" Najenda praised Naruto after he gave her his report. He felt a bit bad for that Ogre guy for killing him in cold blood but he now understood the way of life in the Capital more. It's basically kill or be killed.

"Thanks, but I'm not really proud of what I did." He sighed then gave a quick bow to Najenda and made her way to a familiar black haired girl.

Stopping in front of her, Naruto pointed to himself with his thumb. "Just like I promised... I'm here, Akame!" He gave her a small smile "I've done my job and given my report, and I accomplished it somehow without getting hur-"

***YANK***

Before he could continue, Akame stepped forward and pulled up his orange shirt rather forcefully. "Wha-What the hell?!" Naruto screamed as his cheeks turned bright red in embarressment. She eyed his upper body what Naruto clearly misunderstood, before placing one of her palm on Naruto chest, suprising him.

"This scar?" She tilted her head down to avoid eye contact as she looked at a large square like scar on the middle of his chest.

"A-Ah? This? I probably recieved it from the experiments in the Empire..." He said sadly.

"Thank goodness! You seem to be undamaged."

Naruto raised his head and saw Akame giving him full and bright smile. His eyes widened and his cheeks turned red yet again but this time, because of something else... She looked nothing like the emotionless girl from yesterday... No, she looked... Cute...

"The mortality rate for those on their first mission is high... You did very well!" She shook the still stunned Naruto's hand who couldn't mutter a word. That was the time when Tatsumi decided to speak up.

"Hey that's not fair! Why didn't you guys took off his trouser like you did to me?" Tatsumi cried anime tears while Leone seemed to beam up.

"Oooh, now that you mention it, it's not too late to do that!" She made a sly grin what scared the blond.

"W-Wait, what do you mean_ 'take off'_ my trouser?" But before he could stand a few steps back, he felt that his hand was still held by Akame, now in a stronger grip. "Wait a second!"

"No." Akame simply said.

"It's time to have fun~" Without a doubt, this was Leone.

"No... No no no no, I'm sure we can talk this through, right?" He moved his free hand in front of him, waving a white flag for Leone to stop.

"Akame, hold him tight!"

"Got it!"

"NOOOOOOO!"

Meanwhile, Tatsumi and Najenda looked at the scene with a sweatdrop rolling down their head. Yep, just a normal night in Night Raid.

**Chapter 2: END.**

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**In Chapter 3: Kill the Illusion.**

"Naruto, today you're teamed up with Akame! Do your best and spar with her."

**xXxXxXx**

"After my fight against Ogre, I feel like I unlocked something... Perhaps another ability of my Shingu.

**xXxXxXx**

"I want you to go to the Capital and retrive a book from our hideout."

**xXxXxXx**

"...K-Kurome?!"

**xXxXxXx**

"Happy, happy!"

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

Not much of an action/romance-filled chapter, maybe because I wanted to use this for something like an_ indroduction_ chapter. I'm planning to explain Naruto's power in a more detailed way in the next chapter.  
I started to slowly change Naruto's personality but I don't know if I overdid it or not. (But I'm pretty sure he won't stay the same as his canon version if he lives in the Akame ga Kill universe.)

I apologize for the grammar mistakes I made. English isn't my native language, but I'll do my best to fix them.

If you have any questions, you can always ask them in a PM! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

* * *

**Hey Everyone!  
**

**First, thank you for the 150+ favorites and follows, I could write over 2k+ words how much it means to me, but I think nobody wants to read that much, so thank you again! It means a lot! :)**

**I apologize for the long wait. I had to re-imagine the whole chapter three times because I created a couple plotholes... But I finally planned out the whole story and wrote it down on a piece of paper in a nutshell. But that's a bad excuse for not updating... So I guess no cookies for me...**

I also recieved a pm, asking for a bit more information about the story, so here it is.

**Little information shards about the story:**

**Naruto's Teigu:** _Yep, I'm going to give him one but it won't happen until Volume 4._

_I also have a question about his future Teigu. Should I be **original** (Example: I can kick myself in the butt for playing too much Final Fantasy VIII and throw a gunblade at him?) OR should I stay true to **Naruto's character** and give him a Teigu like Leone's but with fox features?_

**Naruto's Shingu:** _This is a placeholder thingy... It's important for the plot now, but I originally added it to fill the gap __between Naruto joining Night Raid and receiving a Teigu._

**Character Deaths (because the story won't be the same without them):**_ I don't want to reveal anything but I guess I can say that I will go with the "Equivalent Exchange". I'm going to save two members from Night Raid who already died BEFORE chapter 60... but that means two other members will take their place._

**Naruto's strength:**_ Please note that our blond protagonist is far from being "strong"... He is stronger than Tatsumi, but he's nowhere near the other Night Raid members. He is weaker than Bulat, slower than Akame and Lubbock can easily outsmart him with his Teigu, and the list goes on... The whole point in the first 6-7 chapters is to make him stronger, gain more experience and learn to always have a plan against people more powerful than him._

**Cute little bunnies:**_ Despite the Akame-universe, I'm going to make this story as LESS dark as possible... So basically: I'm going to focus more on cute little bunnies instead of brutally ripped off heads. (I'll have enough time to describe dark elements later on with Wild Hunt and their "funny businesses" anyway.)_

**The Third love interest for Naruto:**_ I recieved a lot of suggestions and I'm really in the dark who I should add, But I decided to go with the flow and see how things turn out. But I'm thankful for all the suggestions, they gave me some great ideas!  
_

**Will Naruto also get abducted to the Jägers like Tatsumi?:**_ Tricky question. I also recieved a pm, asking about this but all I can say is: "Not the same way."_**  
**

Well, that's it then...

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Kill the Illusion (Part A) Encounter.**

_[Some would reach out their hand to grab tomorrow...]_

_[Others would close their eyes to not forget yesterday...]_

_[But when I close mine... I see the same scene every time...]_

_*Step* *Step* *Step*_

_[I walk alone on a street filled with many people. I feel the wind blowing through my clothes full with holes, I feel blood __dripping down from arms and legs, but I still walk forward... I don't know where and why but I can't stop.]_

_*Whisper* *Whisper* *Whisper*_

_[The people around me? They are whispering. Not about "How could someone do this to a child" or "What happened to him?" __or even "Maybe we should help him"...]_

_[No... They whisper that I should just disappear, that I ruin their mood with my appearance.]_

_[Before I knew, I arrive at a crossroad. One leads forward to more people, while the other one leads to an alley filled __with nothing but darkness... But when I would finally make up my mind and choose, someone stops me.]_

_"Hey..."_

_[I hear someone... I think I hear someone. I try to turn around but my body does not responde.]_

_"Hey, you'll die if you continue to walk on that path."_

_[I froze. The voice is so powerful, so familiar yet I don't know who is it coming from.]_

_[And then, right before my eyes... The world crumbles, shattering into tiny pieces...]_

_[Along with me...]_

_..._

_[Some would reach out their hand to grab tomorrow...]_

_[Others would close their eyes to not forget yesterday...]_

_[But me? I...]_

* * *

**Night Raid's Headquarters.**  
**Dining Room.**  
**Early Morning.**

* * *

"Aa..."

"Aaah..."

"AAACHOO!" *Sniff*

Naruto sneezed and nearly dropped his plate with his breakfast on while walking to the table. His eyes were still half-lidded. He and Tatsumi were probably the only ones awake in the whole building and since their stomach started to get out of control, the two decided to eat without waiting for the others.

"Argh... Ramen-chan must be talking about me..." Our blonde protagonist put down his bowl of freshly-made ramen on the table as he sat down opposite of Tatsumi, who sweatdropped at his half-awake friend's unique way of thinking.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Tatsumi muttered before the two began to devour their breakfast.

It's been almost a week now since the two joined Night Raid and if someone would ask Naruto what he thinks about his life now, he would say that he has a much greater goal now along with saving his village. Tatsumi was no exception.

"So... Your partner today is Akame, right?" Tatsumi asked curiously as he grabbed a jug full of ice-cold water and slowly poured the liquid into his glass. Naruto, whose ocean blue eyes were still filled with tiredness, looked up and nodded.

*Yawn* "Yeah, Boss said that she can teach me a thing or two, probably something about this Shingu-whatever I have inside me." He said while reaching forward with his hand, and just like Tatsumi could read in his thoughts, gave him the jug. "But it makes you wonder..." Naruto began as his emotionless eyes stared at the glass in front of him, now fully filled with water. "What was my purpose inside the Capital? If they really used me as a guinea pig, then where were my parents?" He picked up his glass in front of his face and swirled the liquid. "Or maybe the soldiers just killed them while-" Tatsumi couldn't take his friend's pessimism any longer and interrupted him.

"Stop it, Naruto! You said it yourself back in the village that you won't let your past get the better of you when someone tells you a piece of it." Tatsumi looked at his blond friend who widened his eyes and finally smiled. The brown-haired teen was right, even if he is curious to know who were/are his so called parents, he basically grew up without them... So getting depressed over something like this is foolish. So he tries to forget about these thoughts... for now.

"Tatsumi is right, Naruto!"

Came a familiar voice from the dining room's entrance, surprising the two young man at the table. It was Bulat who, like usual, clearly looked like he reeks of sweat. With a simple wave of his hand, he stepped inside and pointed to one of the fully filled jugs on the table. "You two don't mind if I borrow this one?" He asked then grabbed the jug full of water and gulped down the cold liquid without taking a breath.

*Sigh* "Aaahhh, that was refreshing..." Bulat sighed in relief and slammed the jug on the table. He must have been training since the sun came up, because neither Naruto nor Tatsumi saw him. "Naruto, you can be the son of a wealthy merchant, a late general or even the Prime Minister's but that doesn't change the fact that you are with us now! We are your new family, and that goes to you too, Tatsumi!" Bulat said, shocking Naruto with his speech.

"Bulat-san..." All of the blond's worries disappeared as he widened his eyes. He still didn't know how to address Bulat and since Sayo taught him _(beat him up)_ to be polite, he kept addressing him with the "-san" suffix. The said muscular man stepped closer to the blond, placed one of his hand under Naruto's chin and tilted his head up, looking straight into his eyes as several rainbows, sparkles and flowers appeared around them.

"You can think of me as your older brother and call me Aniki or Handsome like Tatsumi does." He smiled while Naruto skin turned pale white as a cracking sound came from his head. Tatsumi sweatdropped and thanked the lord that it wasn't him this time.

_'If this situation would be like in those romance novels with different chapters for each romantic interests, I'm pretty damn sure I would do my best to avoid the "Bulat Route".'_ Naruto thought as he backed away a little with his chair. "T-Thanks, Bulat." Calling him Aniki would be confusing, since Tatsumi is the one who calls him like that and Handsome would be... a bit... Well, everyone would assume Naruto swings the other way so calling him simply Bulat sounds fine.

"Yes~ Yes~ We are are one big family!" Hearing the familiar voice, Naruto was about to rush to the other side of the room but a pair of gentle yet strong arms stopped him from doing so while something soft pressed against his back. Oh no... Turning his head slightly and using his periferic vision, he saw Leone squeezing the life out of him with a huge smirk.

_'Seriously, if she continues to press her breast against me, I won't be able to hold ba- Wait, what the hell am I thinking?!'_ His face turned slightly red while Leone's expression remained the same. _'Damn you, woman, that's it! I'll take my revenge and make you blush for eternity no matter what!'_

"Look, it's Leone! It's strange to see you this early. It's usually you or Mine who gets up last." Bulat greeted the blonde woman who smiled back and released our protagonist.

"Oh~ I heard that we received an important request yesterday. Our target is a bigger fish this time and since Boss said that I should check today if the information is reliable or not, I couldn't stay put~!" That got Naruto's and Tatsumi's attention.

"Who is it?" Naruto asked curiously. If the target is a more important one, than taking him or her out would make the Empire less powerful. Plus after seeing the people's true nature and fighting against Ogre, he is more than happy to take out high ranked officers from the corrupted city.

"The target is one of the Prime Minister's blood relative." She grinned. "But first I need to check if we can safely eliminate him or not."

"So if we kill him, we can piss the Prime Minister off and make him do something reckless!" Tatsumi exclaimed. The Prime Minister is the one who basically rules the Empire by controlling the emperor.

Hearing this, Bulat crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. "I don't think he cares that much about a distant blood relative. Will he be angry? Yes, but only momentarily."

"But a target is a target, right?" Naruto stood up from his chair and pointed to himself with his thumb while looking at Leone. "Leone, take me with you. I'm sure we can scout ahead more easily if there's more of us." Excitement took over him as he grinned while switching his gaze between Leone and Bulat. He still doesn't really understand how assassins act on duty, that's why going with Leone would improve his teamwork, however...

"Not. A. Chance~." The busty blonde woman winked, her smile never leaving her face as she placed both of her hands on her hips, enjoying as Naruto's expression turned from happy to heartbroken.

"Eh?" Naruto's plan shattered to pieces and he lowered his shoulders. "Why?"

"Because..." She removed one of her hands from her hips and pointed to the far end of the table. Naruto's wide eyes slowly followed the movement of her hand, scanning the area where she pointed at. "...You already have an adorable little partner to train with today~!"

*Munch* *Munch* *Munch*

And there, sitting at the far end of the table with a giant piece of meat twice as her head, was Akame. Without a doubt, the girl in question is happy that she can eat her favorite food (?) even if her face did not show any kind of emotions. After hearing what Leone said and seeing everyone is looking at her with the exception of Bulat, who smiled with his eyes closed while leaning against a nearby wall, stopped devouring her food and looked up to the others with an innocent face.

"...What?"

That earned a thumbs up from the busty blonde woman, made Tatsumi freak out and caused Naruto's jaw drop._ 'When the hell did she get here?!'_ The blond screamed inside his mind._ 'And why does she only call Akame adorable when she eats a tremendous piece of meat?!'_

The rest of the breakfast went smoothly. Bulat said he wasn't hungry so he went back to the Training Grounds after a little break, Leone joked around and possibly intended to embarrass Tatsumi and Naruto while eating oden and drinking sake... in the morning. Akame stayed silent most of the time but almost bit off Naruto's hand when he tried to take a quick bite of her food. She is really possessive when it comes to her meat. Lubbock arrived midway with Najenda following him a couple of minutes later and the room was immediately filled with more laughter.

Time flew by and soon everyone went to their seperate ways but not before a smirking Lubbock reminded Tatsumi to wake Mine up since the two are going to the Capital to "inspect the city's condition", whatever that means. Akame volunteered to wash the dishes but that automatically meant that her blond partner, who could have lifted a mountain from enthusiasm, did not have a choice but to help her out.

Despite seeing the red-eyed girl brighter and... cuter (?) side yesterday, it almost felt like it was just a dream or something what happens once in a lifetime. But Naruto quickly erased these thoughts from his head because yes, it's time to finally train...

* * *

**Nearby Forest.**  
**Later Morning.**

* * *

"...Is... what I thought..." Naruto mumbled to himself as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with one hand and grabbed a strange-looking purple mushroom with his other one. He examined it for a few seconds, then shrugged with his shoulders lazily and threw the mushroom into the basket he carried on his back. "... But why are we harvesting fruits and mushrooms in the middle of the forest?" He asked his partner, who walked in front of him, carefully eyeing each and every one of the fruits and mushrooms she picked up from the ground or picked off from the trees.

"Naruto..." The blond looked up to the girl as she turned around to face him. "...The one you just picked up is not edible. Throw it away." Naruto raised one of his eyebrows but took off the basket from his back anyway. He kneeled down on the dirt-road and grabbed the mushroom then raised his head to give Akame a questioning look.

"But this looks excatly the same like the ones I picked up half an hour ago and you said those were okay." Complained Naruto since he couldn't see the differences between the one in his hand and the one inside the basket. Now that we are here, he couldn't see the point in this whole harvesting thing to begin with. He grew up in a village where the terrain was pretty much filled with snow thanks to the cold weather and the fact that it was high enough near the mountains, so knowing the basic edible fruits, vegetables and mushrooms were more than enough for him.

"Easy." Akame raised her right hand in a lecturing way as her tone turned more monotone. "When it's young, it looks the purple Eastern Mushroom seen in grocery store produce sections, forests and also in your basket what you just collected a little while ago. As they age, they'll lose their color and turn white. When they are young, the easiest way to distinguish the two is to check the color of their rings." Akame said as several question marks appeared above Naruto's head as he looked at the purple "thing". He had a hard time processing what she said. "The poisonus mushroom you have in your hand has a purple ring while the Eastern Mushroom's is always yellowish. Got it?" She turned on her heels and continued moving forward.

...

"Eh?" Naruto was left dumbstruck as he just stood there watching as his partner left him behind. He dropped the poisonus mushroom, picked up his basket and proceeded to catch up with the red-eyed girl._ 'Seeing an edible PURPLE mushroom is a first but I didn't understand a thing what she said... This is boring...'_ He soon caught up with her. "Well, sorry for not knowing much about them." He pouted and looked to his left.

"What do you mean?"

"Erm... At the village, we didn't have too many opportunities to plant vegetables or search for mushrooms thanks to the snow and the weather. We bought them from other villages most of the time." He sighed as he wondered how the others were doing in the village. He won't see them anytime soon that's for sure. "But you seem to know much about them. You had someone to teach you?" He asked curiously. He wanted to get to know her.

"No..." She looked like she was deep in thought for a moment. "Me and my sister were put inside of a forest inhabited by many Danger Beasts, our only chance for escape was to learn how to survive." Ouch. Looks like he stepped on a landmine. He immediately regretted his decision, reminding Akame of her sister but she wasn't the only one who suddenly felt sad.

_'Kurome...'_ Naruto knew that Akame looked familiar from somewhere and he learned from Leone that she and Kurome are sisters. He wanted to tell her that he knew Kurome but so far, he did no find the best opportunity for it. This might be his only chance. "Say, Akame... Your siste-"

*Crack*...

*BOOM*

"RAAAAAAAAWR!"

Their conversation was interrupted when a giant cockroach-like beast bursted out of the dirt-road, smashing the nearby trees away with it's giant claw-like hands. Without a doubt, the Danger Beast in front of them was a-

"Earth Dragon..." Akame said and narrowed her red eyes like a hunter, prepearing to strike down it's prey. Out of pure instinct, she reached down to grab her Teigu and eliminate the enemy in one precise movement but before she could have begun her assault, a blue blur went past her from the left. _'Naruto?!'_

"A chance!" Naruto shouted as he pulled out both of his tri-pronged knifes from their holsters and used his Shingu's ability to drastically increase his speed. No way that he leaves this opportunity behind.

In a blink of an eye, he appeared in front of the Earth Dragon, what was already waiting for his arrival as one of it's claw-like hand was above the blond. Smirking while his blond hair was shadowing his eyes, he concentrated to activate his Shingu yet again and effortlessly sidestepped from the beast's attack with his arms shielding his face from the dust what the attack has created. He jumped on the beast's hand what was momentarily stuck in the ground and ran up on it's arm with his knifes prepeared to deliver the killing blow.

"HAAAAH!" With several small blue lines following behind the blur that his body had become, a diagonal slash was delivered, followed by a vertical and then two horizontal slash. Using the colossal beast's shoulder, Naruto jumped down onto one of the still standing trees and kicked himself back towards the Earth Dragon, now with extra speed. "«Sonic Skyfall»" With twice of the speed what he normally gains from his Shingu, Naruto dashed towards the cockroach-like enemy to deal a downward strike to it's head.

Naruto landed perfectly on his feet then knelt down with one knee resting on the ground, facing the now stunned monster with his back. Blood spilled everywhere from the wounds he caused and without looking back, he knew that the Danger Beast was finished. Right after he sheated his knifes with a loud "click", the Earth Dragon fell to it's death. _'My plan worked!'_ His grin showed that he was satisfied with how things turned out._ 'Okay the name was lame, but it worked!'_

"Aaah, that was refreshing... What do you think, Akame?"

She puts on a pleased smile. "Not bad. Last time you used the ability of your Shingu three times in a short period of time, you ended up kneeling on the ground while breathing heavily." While that wasn't a good thing to remember, it happened right on the first day he and Tatsumi arrived at the Night Raid Headquarters. Doing a rematch against Leone sure wasn't his best idea of the year. "And you resemble Leone a bit with that comment..."

"Gaah, don't compare me to that woman! I swear that one day she'll suffocate me with those breasts of hers." He cried out with anime tears rolling down on his cheeks. _'But what a good way to die when it's by those brea- NOOO!'_ He slapped himself to regain his composure. That earned him a much wider smile from the girl that also made him think. This was the second time he saw her smile like that, it felt kinda nice to see her smile.

"Oh, and that was four times." He signaled the number "4" with his fingers. "I used it once to get in front of the Danger Beast, the second time to evade it's attack and ran up on it's arm, then I used it twice at the same time to double my normally gained speed." Now that he could use his power more easily, it made him wonder what happens if he _'overcharge'_ it or use it twice at the same time. Back at the village it was impossible to even think of such a thing since he couldn't even use it once properly but now thanks to people like Bulat, he was able to go all out and learn to use his Shingu in his own way. Now that he thinks of it, doesn't this thing inside him have a name? It felt weird calling it just simply "his Shingu".

"I see, but be careful when you use it. A Shingu puts much greater strain on the user's body than a Teigu, that is one of the reasons why the former is inferior."

"Got it!" Looks like Akame knows a lot about the Shingus.

"And Naruto..." Akame pointed behind her. "...Your basket tumbled over and the fruits you have gathered are now rolling on the ground." Her monotone voice felt like blades piercing through his heart as a look of horror appeared on his face.

"Ahhh, come on!" He rushed back to recollect his previous three hours of work. _'Never thought that I would say this, but I envy you right now, Tatsumi!'_

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Meanwhile.**

* * *

*Whack*

"BUHWA!?" Shopping... This isn't a mission... it's shopping... Was what Tatsumi said before he got punched right in the face by Night Raid's_ 'Pink Tsundere'_, at least that's how Naruto calls her. He was excited about going on a mission with Mine, despite almost turning into a punctured cheese with tiny holes thanks to her Teigu in the morning. Talk about sleepy-heads...

"I'm above, you're below! And don't forget it!" As Tatsumi placed a hand on his red cheek, Mine glared at his figure lying on the ground, face down. "A subordinate shouldn't talk back! You should be thankful I let you carry my bags." And her speach went on...

_'Naruto... I envy you with Akame as your partner...'_ He thought.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Training Grounds.**  
**Early Afternoon.**

* * *

*Clang*

"HAAAH!"

*Clang*

After collecting fruits for two more looong hours, Akame decided it was time to go back to the Headquarters and let the half-dead Naruto have a spar with her. They are currently using wooden swords, a_ 'bokken'_ as Akame calls them. The blond didn't want to use anything unless it's something short like a dagger or a knife but after the red-eyed girl informed him that _'There will be times when he won't have an option but to use a sword, especially if his knifes shatter on the battlefield'_ he had no choice but to use the bokken. So far they had four matches and they were pretty much one-sided...

"Watch where you step." Akame said stoically before hitting Naruto's right feet with the point of her weapon while he tried to keep his balance. Without much effort, Akame took this chance and elbowed him on the chest with enough force to send him back a couple meters.

Naruto gripped his bokken as he pushed himself back onto his feet._ 'Tch, telling me to use only my physical strength is one thing but she really does her best to beat me up. But I can't give up now!'_ He took a deep breath and grabbed his weapon's hilt with both hands. _'The only way for me to land a hit on her is...'_ He positioned the bokken to in front of his chest with it's point facing Akame and grabbed his right wrist with his left hand to gather his strength._ '...to concentrate everything into this one strike!'_ He lowered his body before he concentrated his power into his weapon and kicked himself hard off the ground, rushing toward the red-eyed girl.

"HAAAH!" Witnessing the sudden change in the blond's movement, Akame widened her eyes for a moment before narrowing them again. Naruto prepeared his weapon for a slash and was about to execute the attack before something innormally huge blur appeared in front of him, shadowing his whole figure from the sun. Blinking once, then twice, he could now see an iron fist waiting just for him to move right into it... Wait... Running right into a punch isn't normal, what happened to Akame-

"Eh?"

*BAAM*

It was too late. He ran right into the punch what resulted in him getting kissed by the ground hard. The only thing he could get out of his mouth was..."Bu...lat?" His soul nearly escaped through his mouth as several ramen bowls started to spin around his head. He was so caught up in the spar that he was unable to see Bulat coming between him and Akame. _'W-Wh-Why...'_ Even thinking was hard for Naruto at the moment.

"Always keep an eye out for your surroundings, you never know if your opponent is alone or not." Bulat told him with a serious face what also made Naruto worry since he rarely sees the muscular man like that.

"I-I get it, but isn't this a spar between me and Akame?" He stood up while holding his head with one hand.

"Yet you're not showing any improvements..." Bulat interrupted and released a sigh. "...You keep making the same mistakes over and over again and while I know that swordsmanship is not your speciality, that is no excuse." He stepped closer to him and patted his head. "That's why I'm going to team up with Akame and have you fight against the two of us!" He gave a bright smile to the blond who in return paled and nearly dropped his weapon.

"Wai-Wai-Wait!" He put both of his hands in front of him in a defensive way. "Y-You mean me against you two?" He recieved a nod from Akame and Bulat. "At the same time?" Another nod. "Without using my Shingu?!" Yet another nod followed after his nervous question. "Not to kill the mood, but that's a bit overkill, no?!"

"Twenty seconds." Bulat began. "You need to survive for twenty seconds without getting hit." He informed Naruto while picking up a big, broadsword-like wooden weapon. Akame stepped back along with him, giving Naruto some space to prepeare. "Don't falter now!"

Naruto sighed as he scratched the back of his head. How is he supposed to survive for twenty seconds against professionals? But there's no place for regrets now, he needs to get stronger and since he preferred speed than strength until now, it's time to build some muscles while learning how to dodge. He took a small step forward with his right leg and held the bokken both hands with it's point looking down.

...

_'Let's roll!'_ With that final thought, he darted forward, moving in a zigzag pattern in order to at least make himself a little bit more harder to hit. Twenty seconds, that's all he needs. This wasn't just a simple spar anymore, this was a test to see how he stood in combat against stronger opponents.

When Naruto came in front of the two, arms pulled back to deliver a strong strike to Bulat's middle-section, the muscular man simply set his legs and parried the attack with his own weapon, holding it with one hand and without flinching. The blond couldn't read his face. While Naruto was occupied with Bulat, Akame changed position and aimed to stab him from his left side so fast it was like a blur. Jumping back in the last few seconds, Naruto managed to avoid the attack, only to find himself facing another one, now from above. He raised his weapon to block the incoming powerful swing from Bulat but as soon as the two wooden weapon collided he was overwhelmed by the brute-force what came from the man.

Naruto breathed, his hands shaking around the handle of his bokken. All around his feet were spider web-like cracks and a small crater where the weight of the huge wooden broadsword had driven him into the ground. He sidestepped out of the weapons's way and blocked yet another attack. _'Shit, all I do is block and dodge...!'_ Then Naruto widened his eyes as Akame shot forward, her movements so fast that he almost failed to notice them. But it was too late...

One blow, and the sword he had held was wrenched from his grip and sent flying across the training grounds to stop nearby a tree many yards away. The back of Akame's bokken found his stomach, making him gasp for air then she used her strength to send the blond back a couple yards.

As Naruto finished sliding on his own back, he stared up at the cloudless blue sky with his half closed eyes. "Argh... That hurt..."

"Naruto?" A familiar looking woman with purple hair and glasses came into his field of vision. It was Sheele. Still laying on the ground, Naruto looked around and saw the clumsy woman siitting on a huge rock with a book in her hands. She looked concerned about him, so it must have been long flight he had thanks to Akame. "Are you alright, Naruto?" Naruto never really had the time to get to know the woman, but remembering the small talks they have shared, he found her kind and caring... her clumsiness is also a plus in his book.

But now is not the time to think like that. He is supposed to be in pain.

"*Huff* My options... *Huff* Are limited..." He could still fell the place where Akame hit her. Gritting his teeth, he managed to stand up, although he looked like he was about to collapse. After giving Sheele a quick reassuring smile, he walked back to the middle of the training grounds and saw that the two were already waiting for him.

"Ready, Naruto?" Bulat asked with a smile as he threw Naruto's weapon back to him, who easily caught it.

_'Geez, he is talking like it was easy for me to recover back there'_ He pouted but nodded nonetheless. "...I don't have much of a choice anyway..." He whispered then braced himself. This time, it was Bulat who took the first step with Akame following closely behind him._ 'Heh, this brings back memories...'_ He thought as both his and Bulat's weapon collided, marking the beginning of the remaining twenty seconds.

* * *

**Flashback:**  
**At the Village's Training Grounds.**  
**Early Morning.**

* * *

*Crack!*

...

*Bumm*

A cracking sound could be heard near the snow-filled training ground, implying that something has shattered. In the middle, a young boy fell on his butt as the practice sword in his grip shattered into two while an elderly man stood in front of him, holding the exact same weapon with the only difference that his was in one piece. The swords were made of wood in order to make them less dangerous.

*Sigh* "That's another sword lost... Focus, Naruto." The elderly man said as he released a sigh.

"That's not fair, you old geezer! You told me that we are using the same type of weapons but why is it that mine always gets cut in half but yours remain in the same state?! You're cheating!" He accused the village's chief as he pointed his broken weapon to him while still sitting on his but. The 13 years old boy, Uzumaki Naruto frowned.

"Hahaha. That is indeed an interesting way to see it, my boy." The chief replied as he gave him a kind smile. "See, the difference between your weapon and mine is..." He raised his own wooden sword with one hand. "...That while I focus my whole strength into it, you just simply swing the weapon without concentration. It is not about how strong a weapon is... but more like how adept it's user is." The elderly man told him. Sadly, at this time, Naruto's brain still lacked a long beating from Sayo so the cogwheels inside his head turned waaay slower.

"Errrrm... Sooo since you know how to use a sword, you can break mine anytime?" Naruto made the man lift an eyebrow but nodded at the last minute. "THAT'S STILL CHEATING!" Naruto yelled.

"You are missing my point, child..." The chief placed an hand on his forehead. He is getting too old for this.

"I hate using swords... Why can't I have one of those cool guns the imperial soldiers have?" Naruto crossed his arms and turned away, sulking.

"Naruto, we don't have the luxury to buy one those. You know that the village-"

"Yeah, I know... Stupid taxes..." Naruto kept sitting on the cold ground until he grabbed both pieces of his broken weapon. This earned him a confused look from the chief however, it felt easier to hold two small weapons instead of a long one.

* * *

**Flashback: END**

* * *

Oookay... Maybe remembering the past was not such a good idea, given the fact that he barely managed to tilt his head in time to avoid getting hit by Akame again. _'If what the old geezer said is true...'_ He jumped back to avoid a powerful swing from Bulat._ '...Then if I focus all of my strength into the edge of my sword I could probably counter one of the incoming attacks and fight my way through from there.'_

His eyes slightly widened as his instincts told him to spin around and ready himself for another swing. He thanked his instincts as he found Akame's bokken coming right after his neck, sending a small breeze out from its edge. _'Let's try it...'_ He gripped his wooden sword with both hands and prepeared himself to counter the attack. Naruto focused all of his previously gathered strength into the weapon and proceeded with his plan.

Without realising it during the swing, the image of the bokken quickly got replaced by a red blur what completely embraced the weapon with it's light. A huge cracking sound could be heard as Akame's and Naruto's weapon collided with each other, and to the blond's surprise, this time, Akame did not push him back. He almost stopped concentrating on his attack to find out what that red blur was but as the thought crossed his mind-...

*Break*

Both weapon have broken in half.

"Wha-...?"

Naruto was taken a back along with Akame who quickly regained her composure and stepped in front of the blond._ 'She switched to hand to hand combat?!'_ The young Uzumaki moved his head to the side, feeling the wind blowing by his cheek as her fist moved past next to his head. His momentary success got cut short as she opened her hand, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and flipped him over her shoulder in a throw that made Naruto seriously question her true strength.

*Buum*

It didn't even take Naruto five minutes and he found himself laying on the ground yet again. "Argh... I wish I could regret my choices BEFORE they come back and bite me in the ass..." Naruto groaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. The moment from earlier came back to him in an instant and he pulled the broken bokken closer to his face to analyse it.

Strange, red diversified glowing lines surrounded the broken weapon all over. Now that the blond have some time to think, he now found out that the wooden piece of fabric was heavier and it's edge was much more sharper, but that did not make sense since it was supposed to be blunt. From time to time, small, almost unnoticeable red electric currents escaped from the piece of wood.

*Huff*_'This..._ *Huff* _...is new...'_ He watched as the glowing lines disappeared along with the extra weight from his weapon. He placed one of his hand on his knees to support himself to stand up. *Huff*_ 'Time to...Huh?'_ Naruto's shaking legs gave out and he fell back to the ground with a groan of pain. _'I... can't get up?!'_ His legs are shaking uncontrollably.

"It's your stamina!" Bulat informed Naruto from behind and picked the blond's fallen figure up in... bridal style?

"Bulat, what the hell?!" He yelled but the muscular man responded with a long laugh.

"Hahaha! Looks like you used your Shingu's ability in a different way." He continued to carry him out of the training grounds. "But it seems that it consumed a great amount of stamina from you, that is why you suddenly felt weak." Moments later, Bulat put him down before Akame showed up with a stoic look on her face what made Naruto nervous for some reason.

She just stood there, staring at him until... "Naruto..." If glares could kill, Naruto was pretty sure that he would be dead right now. "I told you that it's forbidden for you to use your Shingu..." The young man sweatdropped.

"I-In my defense, I used it accidentally and also-" He was cut off as Akame turned on her heels and started to walk away.

"For compensation, your tonight's meat is mine." She declared without looking back.

"Gaah!" The expression on his face turned to horror like his world just suddenly ended. "WAIT! I need that ground pork for my Miso Ramen! Wait... no, AKAME!" He reached out to her with one hand, causing a dramatic scene but she left without a word.

He kept sulking for a couple more minute before turning back to Bulat who remained standing next to him. "Hey, Bulat..." The man turned to the young Uzumaki. "You know what that ability I used back there was? Strange red lines surrounded the weapon and while it's edge somehow got sharper, it also became heavier." He asked but the man shook his head.

"I know little about the Shingu weapons, even less about their abilities but hearing what you just said I would say that it is some kind of strengthening ability, since I don't think you can break a weapon just with your raw power, not yet. Also, seeing that both yours and Akame's broke in half, it's durability probably remained the same or got worse."

"I see, thanks..." Naruto nodded and Bulat walked away to continue his training. He seriously needs to train or he will never catch up to him. "A little nap would be great." The blond groaned as he laid his head down on the grassy field. His eyes closed, letting his mind wander to wherever his dream leads it.

* * *

**One Hour Later.**

* * *

Sleeping on the ground in the cool afternoon air certainly did the trick for him. Although his back aches from it, he no longer feels exhausted. Naruto sighed heavily, stretching his arms above his head then jumping up to his feet. "Awesome, I'm good as new!"

The blond's eyes wandered around the now empty training grounds in hope to find a certain purple-haired woman in order to talk with her a little but she was nowhere in sight. Naruto turned on his heels and made his way to his friends gravestones to pay his respects again. The young man made a promise to himself to visit the two every other day. Walking up to his destination, Naruto's ears caught a low screeching noise, coming from his right and before he was able to question who is making it, he spotted Akame sitting on the ground with Murasame in her hands.

"Oh, you're sharpening your Teigu?" He asked as Akame gave him a simple nod. Naruto looked up to stare at the sky, deep in thought until he made up his mind and sat down next to her. "Say, Akame..." He nervously began, his eyes never leaving the bright blue sky. "...What is so good in a Teigu?" It made him wonder why such weapons even exist. Najenda told him that when they were created, the Empire used them to protect their people and country until their abilities twisted their users mind and made them power-hungry.

"What do you mean by that?" Akame asked as she continued to sharpen her katana.

"Don't get me wrong, I know that their powerful and all, and I don' really know much about them or their history... but... aren't we relying on them a bit much?" Akame stopped polishing her weapon after hearing what the blond said and turned her head to him, seeing that his ocean-blue eyes filled with sadness stared at the sky. "Rich people rely on their money, strong people rely on their Teigu... It feels like you don't have to worry about enemies stronger than you if you have a Teigu in your hands..."

"That's not exactly right." Naruto eyes slightly widened as he looked at her. "While you are right about them being powerful, making it's user invincible is not true." She sheated Murasame and place it on her lap. "With such strong abilities built into them, there has always been one "Iron Rule" while using them. If two Teigu users with intent to kill clash, without fail, one of them will be a victim." She stared at the hilt of her Teigu before looking right into the blond's blue orbs. "In other words, if two Teigu users fight, only one will survive... Only a Teigu can fight against a Teigu."

Naruto looked down with a sad smile. _'So, I don't even have a chance against them without having one...'_

"But I also support what you're thinking. A Teigu's power shouldn't be relied on too heavily, and we should use them to protect." Naruto's jaw nearly dropped when he saw her giving him a true smile. Why is it that she looks like a completely different person when she's smiling?

"He...Hehe." He chuckled. "You know, Akame... you should really smile more often." He closed his eyes for a bit.

"...Why?" And there she was again... Naruto sweatdropped when she turned back to her stoic self... He stood up, placed his hands to the back of his head and turned around, walking away with a smile on his face.

"Because you're cuter that way..." Since he no longer faced Akame, Naruto failed to see the girl widening her eyes as she stared at his retreating figure.

* * *

**Night Raid's Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

"Everyone's here? There's a new request." Najenda announced as she looked at a man's portrait with great disgust. Everyone were present and ready to carry out their new mission except...

"Wait... Where's Naruto?" Lubbock said as he looked around the room in hope to find him eating ramen near one of the corners.

"Hold on... I get him." To everyone's surprise, it was Mine who said it. Shrugging with her shoulders, she reached down to her pink clothes' pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She crumbled it, threw it behind her then soon crossed her arms and tapped with her fingers in annoyance.

A few seconds passed then the meeting room's door bursted open, revealing Naruto sliding on his knees, stopping right in front of the crumbled piece of paper with his palms open in a dramatic pose. "Gaaaahhh..." He kept kneeling as several sweatdrops and facepalms could be seen in the room. He was still wearing his pale white now-dirty cleaning outfit. "Mine, you slob, what is this?" He pointed accusingly to the pink-haired girl, who just gave him more cleaning work.

"Calm down, idiot. I will pick it up later."

"Oh, than that's a different story, what's going on?" He literally teared off his white apron and walked up to the others. Everyone stayed silent until Najenda sighed and cleared her mouth.

"As I said, we have a new request." Najenda picked up the target's portrait and showed it to the others. "The target this time is a blood relative of the prime minister." Naruto raised his head and looked at Leone with a grin, who grinned back, telling him that everything went fine and they are ready. "A man named Iokal." Najenda picked up a nearby knife and stabbed through the portrait. "Using the minister's name, he abducts girls from the capital and beats them to death. His five bodyguards also share his guilt in this." She stood up from her chair. "This is an important mission, everybody will attack..."

Naruto clenched his fists in excitement._ 'Finally! Finishing off a danger beast, check. Gaining a new ability to my arsenal, check. Going on a mission to piss off the prime minister, check. Today is awesome!'_

"...Except you, Naruto. I heard from Akame that you managed to unlock a new ability of your Shingu. There is an old book in our hideout about a few known Shingu that might help us identify yours, so your job is to go to the capital and bring back that book." Finished Najenda.

...

"Eh?" And then, his luck decided to bite him in the ass. Naruto grabbed his heart and made an exaggerated act that his heart had been pierced.

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Around Midnight.**

* * *

"This sucks..." Naruto said as he continued to curse inside his mind. Here he is, carrying an old book what contained more amount of dust than words. He kept questioning why couldn't he just go with the others and come back here tomorrow... He continued to walk forward on the deadly-silent street as his grey coat blew in the wind. "This place is completely different at night... I didn't notice this on the day when I arrived here with Tatsumi..."

He looked at the old book in his right hand and opened it for a few seconds. There weren't many Shingu in it but he read through the pages nonetheless. "Four hundred years ago, an Emperor of that time sought to create newer, stronger weapons that could surpass the Teigu." He read it out loud since no one was around. "The Emperor then set out to create new artifacts and was ultimately successful. However, the new items that were developed did not match the strength of any Teigu." These were almost the exact same words Najenda told him.

He flipped the pages and arrived at the first Shingu. "Kiriichimonji?" Unlike with the other weapons, this page was filled with a lot of details along with this _'Kiriichimonji's'_ description. It was a katana without a_ 'tsuba'_ (or guard) but what amazed him was the weapon's ability. "Every wounds inflicted using this weapon are permanent. They will never heal."

He continued reading the book in order to scare away his boredom.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

"?!" He heard footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around and soon spotted two imperial guards running right towards where he is. _'Great...'_ He pulled his gray coat's hood on and quickly dashed behind several crates in a nearby alleyway._ 'I hope they're not after me...'_

*TAP* *TAP* *TAP*

"Hurry! We must find Ogre-sama's murderer no matter what!" Yelled one of the imperial before he raised his hand, signaling to his companion to stop. "Halt! Look over there!"

Meanwhile Naruto narrowed his eyes. _'Brilliant, the Imperial Guards are not just searching for my whereabout but they have already found me.'_ He placed the book inside one of his bigger pockets on his coat then reached out to unbottun it in order to grab his knifes. _'Things just got complicated...'_ He sighed.

"Hey, you! You look suspicious! Don't move!" The sound of the guards readying their weapons echoed through the alleyway Naruto was currently hiding in but the sounds also made him re-think his strategy.

"Wait, they sound like they're facing the other way." He peeked through a hole that was present on the wooden crate and looked for the guards. They were indeed facing the other way. _'Phew... looks like I can avoid this fig-'_

*Slash*

Before Naruto could realize it, the guards head got sliced off from the rest of their bodies, making their blood splutter everywhere. The blond widened his eyes when one of the heads rolled back then stopped right next to him. He paled when he saw the poor bastard's face full of despair before the light completely vanished from his eyes.

_'What the hell?'_ He kept his calm and waited for the killer to show himself/herself. He did not have to wait long.

"It seems like... the capital is the perfect place to live." A sinister voice, most likely belonging to a man came from the dark alleyway and soon a shadowy figure could be seen. "I kill and kill and there is always more... Happy, Happy~!" A man stepped out of the shadows with a strange headpiece on his forehead and a bloddied hand blade on each of his arm. "...And it looks like my next victim has just arrived." The strange man then looked to the other alleyway where Naruto currently was, staring right through the crates then into the blond's blue orbs. "You can come out, you know..." He never stopped grinning.

_'He can see me?!'_ Naruto felt his muscles stiffen and his body was unresponsive to any of his command. It should be near pitch-black in the alleyway he is hiding, so how can this man see him?_ 'Oookay Naruto... Just play it cool.'_ It was unnecessary to stay in the shadows any further. He stood up and slowly made his way back to the street with his hood pulled down. "Heh... I guess I should thank you for lowering our enemy's numbers, but my gut tells me you would have killed them anyway, even if they were civilians."

"Hmmm?" The man's grin increased to a whole new level as he looked at Naruto. "How delightful. So young, full of opportunities. Too bad you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Alright, that's plain creepy..." Naruto muttered then crossed his arms over his chest. "Who the hell are-"

"Me?" The interrupted, earning a raised eyebrow from the young blond. "Let's see... I would prefer that you affectionately call me..." The man stepped forward, positioning his hand blades in front of his chest with his arms crossed. "...Zank, the Beheader!"

...

"Sorry, never heard of you..." Hearing Naruto's response, the man named_ 'Zank'_ paled while his hands started to twitch. "I guess I can't really avoid this fight can I?"

"I'm afraid you can't." While saying those words, the strange headpiece on Zank's forehead opened, revealing a green eye. "This is the Teigu, Spectator. It has five different abilities related with_ 'sight'_."

Naruto's eyes widened hearing and also seeing that the man possessed a Teigu. Blue light started to shine through his chest, signaling that thing on Zank's head is indeed a Teigu. He immediately remembered Akame's words._ 'Things just seriously got complicated...'_

"The ability I used to find out your whereabout is called _'Clearsight'_. With this ability I was able to see through solid objects and spot you hiding behind those crates." The man grinned and pointed one of his hand blades at Naruto who sweatdropped.

_'It's nice and all that he is telling me his Teigu's ability willingly but isn't he talking a bit too much? He is supposed to kill me...'_ Naruto's shoulders slump. He reached out to his chest to unbotton his coat but Zank inturrepted him half-way.

"Well, you see... Talking is one of my hobbies..." Zank replied, surprising Naruto.

_'How the-... Now he can read my mind too?'_ Naruto thought.

"Oh, yes I can! With Spectator's second ability called_ 'Insight'_, I can read your thoughts by seeing your facial expressions, body language, and stuff like that."

"Heh, so that little thing on your forehead is your_ 'plus one'_, right?"

"Hmmm, I would rather call it an item that makes everything more entertaining."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto decided he had enough and opened up his coat then forcefully pulled out one of his knife. "You think you can take me down with an eye?" He taunted.

"How delightful. That facial expression on your face... It'll be a pleasure to crush your determination! Happy, Happy~!"

* * *

**Chapter 3: END.**

**xXxXxXx**

In Chapter 4: Kill the Illusion (Part B) Realisation.

_'Are you kidding me, how the hell can he block all of my attacks?'_  
**  
xXxXxXx**

"Where is Naruto?"

**xXxXxXx**

"Sneak Attack: Rule #1, shut the hell up!"

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**I'm not really happy about this chapter to tell the truth, I tried to re-write it couple of times and... well, this is the result. I cut this chapter into A and B parts, so Part B will be a bit shorter than usual. (But I refuse to write a chapter with less than 5k+ words)  
If you have any questions, you can always ask them in a PM! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Hey, Everyone!**

**Well, I did say that this chapter will be short... but... Oh well, another 10k+ words chapter then. I left some more information ****at the bottom, so check them out if something is not clear.**

**This is my first attempt writing a long fight scene(s). I hope they didn't turn out too bad.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Kill the Illusion (Part B) Realisation.**

*Clash*

In the night on a narrow side street, disrupting the silence, weapons clash. Not even 20 minutes ago Uzumaki Naruto encountered a formidable opponent. A Teigu user... Zank, the Beheader.

"Tch!"

After a quick warm up to gather some info about his enemy's fighting style, Naruto jumped back. The person in front of him, Zank, forsaw this and launched himself forward, not giving the blond any chance to catch his breath. Naruto managed to block the incoming deadly attack, but one of the sharp hand blades made it past his defenses and scraped his left forearm slightly.

"Haaaa!" Naruto pulled back his arm to gather his strength then released a powerful vertical slash with his tri-pronged knife at Zank's head, who easily blocked it. _'DAMN IT!'_ He yelled inside his head, seeing that he can't land a single hit on the beheader. But still, even if their blades constantly collide with one another, Naruto's body is wounded the more they fight.

"Good, I can finally see the fragments of despair in your eyes. Show me more and I might add your head to my collection!" Zank exclaimed as he unleashed a barrage of attacks, giving Naruto deeper and deeper wounds with each strike the blond couldn't avoid. The last strike however was far more powerful than the others and even though Naruto was able to block it, the sheer force of it sent him back to the ground a couple yards away.

"Shit!" Gritting his teeth, Naruto pushed himself up and pulled out his other tri-pronged knife from it's holster. Pointing now both of his knives at Zank, the blond looked around to check his surroundings for anything useful, but his opponent made sure to give him as little time as possible.

*Clash*

They stood in front of each other with one weapon blocking the other. Their physical strength started to compete but Naruto knew that he won't win with his, so he let go and aimed a simple kick at Zank's left side. The man lowered his left elbow to block the kick with it but his eyes slightly widened when he felt the power Naruto put in his attack. Zank, who got pushed back a little gave the blond a sinister grin.

"How delightful. It seems that your will to fight has not yet disappeared." The man stopped and pointed to his Teigu. "But sadly, it's pointless! With Spectator's third ability called_ 'Future Sight'_, I can see what a you will do next by seeing the smallest muscle movements in your body... No matter what you do, I can react to it long before you could."

*Huff* *Huff* "Then keep talking and I rip out that Teigu of yours along with your normal eyes, ossan." Naruto replied in a mocking tone._ 'Still, it's easier said than done.'_ With that thought, he rushed forward to continue his fight.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Meanwhile.**

* * *

It was a short and easy mission for the rest of the Night Raid members. They successfully killed the Prime Minister's relative and even slayed his five bodyguards with ease. Well, Tatsumi nearly got his hair blown off from his head thanks to Mine, but that's a different story for another time.

"Well, we finished the job in no time and nobody got hurt!" Lubbock announced cheerfully with his hands resting on the back of his head.

"Yeah, but you didn't do anything~!" Leone popped out from behind him and said while humming a tune.

"As I said, there was just not enough..." Lubba pouted, then looked away. "Even Tatsumi have encountered one, that's not fair."

As the group got closer to their headquarters, Mine stopped chatting with Sheele and looked at Akame with one of her eyebrows raised. "What's wrong, Akame? Your unusually quiet tonight?" The red-eyed girl in question was staring at the dark sky filled with countless stars. It was almost unnoticeable but Mine could see that she was worried about something.

"And we are back!" Bulat yelled out as he spotted the building but his excitement immediately disappeared when he saw Najenda standing outside with her coat on.

"Boss, what's going on?" Tatsumi asked but Najenda narrowed her eye, still looking at the direction that leads to the Capital.

After a minute of silence, she spoke up. "It was already 3 hours since Naruto left for the book. I'm afraid that he might have encountered with one of the Empire's officials."

""What?"" Akame and Leone exclaimed at the same time as the others widened their eyes.

"The Empire? Then we have to save him!" Tatsumi said as he clenched his fists while Lubbock put on his Teigu.

"Yeah." Najenda sighed as she looked at the group. "I decided to wait since if the Empire has their hands in this, they possibly captured him, and going to the Capital on an infiltration mission while they know your face will just increase the body count."

Sheele looked down to the groud, worried about Naruto.

"Lubbock, Tatsumi! I want you two to go and search the district where our hideout is." The two nodded. "Leone, I want you to go to our hideout and see if the book I wanted Naruto to get is still there or not. If it's no longer there, we know that he was already on his way back, making the search somewhat easier." The blonde nodded and the three took off in a hurry. "Mine, Sheele, if they are not back in another three hours, I'm sending you two after them." Najenda place her hand on her chin._ 'Naruto's too important for us to lose, just like everyone else. We can't let anyone die...'_

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Naruto's P.O.V.**

* * *

*Slash*

*Clang*

One of the attacks that I blocked breaks through. My arm is pushed back and his weapon sweeps at me from the side.

*Slice*

"Ha-guhhh...!" I twist my body to dodge it, but it still slashes me. Although not immediately fatal, the wound will eventually overcome me. My blood quickly escapes from the wound joined with the pain, making my movements harder to perform. It's not over yet, there's gotta be a way to trick his Teigu's predicting ability! "Da...mn!" I bear the pain by cursing inside my head and swing both of my knives at the close enemy!

*CLANG*

"Wha...?" It's blocked again. His Teigu made a gap that I cannot fill no matter how hard I try.

"Did you think you can land a hit on me just by speeding up your attacks?" The bastard said with that disgusting grin. "I can hear what you're thinking and see what you're doing." He stepped forward and pushed back, making me lose my balance. "You can't hurt me!"

My temple and my side. He attacks both my vital spots at once. "HAA!" I immediately moved my blades and parry the attacks.

**#¤X&amp;#**

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

"Argh..." My head hurts to the point of blurring my sight. It's not because of the strain of my sudden movements. I remembered... This is_ 'That'_ headache. The instinct I always felt when I was in a situation where no matter what I do, it's my inevitable defeat. That strain now threatens me to run for my life or else-

*Shhhh*

*CLANG*

I parry his attacks then step in and slash at his body, but that damn headache burns my head every time I do so. Is it because it's pointless? Ever since our blades recognized each other, my body breaks every time the metals collide. I carefully analyzed his sword technique but he is always one step ahead of me. In trying to match his skills, I allowed myself to learn from his movements.

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

"Ah...Guh..." My eyeballs go numb. Every time I swing my knives, every time the sparks fly out, I'm attacked with a flash so strong that it could blind me.

*Clash*

I am no match for him, and my vision fills with red every time we exchange blows. He's most likely amused, given the fact that he can read my mind. If that's the worst of it, I don't care. My body is already torn apart. My headache is nothing compared to the burning wounds on me.

The problem is that the headache won't stop because there's something keeping me from certain death and yet causing me this pain at the same time.

I quickly made an _'X'_-like symbol with my weapons and successfully blocked the approaching hand blades.

*CLASH*

"Happy, Happy~! Looks like your willpower is now vanishing rapidly. The despair in your eyes is now clear!" He announced as I tried my best to endure the pressure.

_'Willpower... he said?'_

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

"Guhhh..." I don't care about that. More than anything, I have to do something about this headache right now.

"Hmmm, how delightful. Looks like you still want to fight... Either way-"

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

Shit! My headache gets worse. He looks at one of my weapons, signaling for me to do the same.

*Crack*

As I look at them, I hear then soon spot a small crack forming on the left knife I hold.

"-This marks the beginning of your end!" He moves both of his arms up then swings his hand blades down in a cross to break through my guard.

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

*SHATTER*

"Gah..." One of my knives I blocked them with is destroyed. My body becomes numb as if a hammer had been smashed on it, and the headache finally sears my brain as well as my eyes.

I fell down to the ground.

*Huff* *Huff* My body is heavy, no surprise there since I'm exhausted. So far, I managed to avoid the killing blow from Zank, but even though I want to show Akame that it's possible to fight against a Teigu without having one... my body says otherwise. I pushed myself up into a sitting position but that is as far as I can get. Not breaking the eyecontact between us, I refuse to give in to him and continued to glare at the bastard.

His weapon closes in again. A hand blade comes to pierce my head...!

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

"Guh...!" Biting my lower lip to the point where I can can clearly taste the blood in my mouth, I gather my strength and raise the remaining knife to block the incoming attack.

*Clang*

"Haaaa...Haa, haa, haa!" I'm barely standing again. I need to defeat him. I need to focus everything on that goal...!_ 'It's pretty obvious he is just toying with me, but I sure as hell won't die on this god damn side street.'_

"Happy, Happy~! I think I've hurt you just about enough now."

I glare at him. "What the hell are you..." *Huff* "...talking about?" He then pointed his blade towards me. I screwed up. I was just being stupidly optimistic when I thought I could do something.

"I love hearing someone beg for their life with that sort of look on their face. So I was careful not to damage you too much."

**Normal P.O.V.**

Naruto looked down to check his wounds all over his body. _'Not to damage you too much'_ his ass, it's a miracle that their not fatal. That also raised another question, what is he supposed to do now? The enemy has literally no openings nor any weak points thanks to the Teigu on his forehead. So how can he possibly defeat an opponent like that?

The imaginary world what Naruto built around him has crumbled. Destroyed to pieces. He thought that he could take on the whole Empire just with some courage and determination behind him. He has no experience in fighting against a Teigu nor he has the luxury to say that he is strong. It is just a fantasy that is covered with lies...

But still...

"Now then..." Zank's voice interrupted the still thinking Naruto. "...Beg for your life! I might even change my mind and let you leave alive!"

Naruto's eyes grew wide, but not from the surprise that Zank actually offered him a chance but from the anger that after all this, he is willing to pointlessly let him go. Naruto grabbed his head and forced down his nausea. He tried to forget and simply not care about his headache. His shoulders heaving, Naruto prepared himself. *Huff* *Huff* *Huff* "How generous, but I already witnessed that you're just a serial killer... So you can throw that whole_ 'I let you leave alive'_ crap out the window."

"Hahaha! How delightful!" Zank's figure moved. He closes in on Naruto in an instant and thrusts the hand blades. There is no way a single knife can counter both of the incoming weapons with that speed. The blond skipped four steps back to increase the distance between them and brought his remaining knife in front of his face in a defensive stance.

He managed to block one of the incoming strikes, but since he had only one weapon left, his left side was wide open. Using this as a chance, one of Zank's blades slashed right through Naruto's left shoulder, creating a deep wound.

*Splash*

"Ah...kuh!" The sudden burst of blood from his wound surprised Naruto as he fell back to the ground again. _'Fuck!'_ The rubble turns red just by having him fall on top of it. His headache came back._ '...Tch... I already know, but it seems my body really is almost dead, outside and inside.'_ The blond thought as he struggled to get up.

"This is it, boy." Zank said with a hint of disappointment. His voice echoes. Naruto's body is covered with wounds but he used a nearby wall to support himself. It's bad how his shoulder wound is so deep that he can reach inside it and take out his bones. "I can read your thoughts clearly, and there is no value in such a life you are living. I can hear that you want to save this so called Empire from it's darkness and your poor little village, but since you can't even land a single hit on me, you should understand now that you are chasing an unreachable dream."

*Cough* *Cough* Naruto wanted to responde, to yell back or even just say something to the beheader but only blood came out of his mouth.

"I'm sure of it, there is no value in your life. You can force your body to get up, but your mind is filled with fear and despair. There is no way that you can fight normally while your enemy's ability crushes your mind." Zank took a step further.

Naruto closed his eyes for a second, gritting his teeth. His stamina is almost depleted. His whole body is almost broken... Wait, there IS one thing that he can do. "?!" He looked up, staring at his enemy with his newly found determination. He wanted to keep this as a trump card to surprise Zank, but seeing that he is in a pinch, this is the most suitable situation to use it. "GUH!" His body is telling him that he can still fight and his mind bluffs itself, saying that it has not given in.

*Ba-Dump*

Naruto pushed himself off from the wall that was supporting his body and glared at the beheader. "Heh, save your bullshit. I can still fight!" He yelled, then pointed his knife forward. His Shingu is still there, if he can surprise Zank, he might be able to turn the tables around then take him out when the bastard is-

*Slash*

*BREAK*

With a single diagonal slash, Zank destroyed the last tri-pronged knife that Naruto had. With a face full of despair, the blond watched as his knife chipped away from his hand.

"It's useless. You should have realize that by now you cannot match my Teigu." He stopped the blond with words that grabbed his heart.

...

"..." Naruto stared at the handle of his destroyed weapon. His confidence left him just as quick as it came.

Zank raised his hand, ready to deliver the final and killing blow with a smirk on his face. "It's too bad that your parents didn't warn you about the scary monsters that come out after dark!"

The young Uzumaki's body froze as he saw te blade getting closer and closer to his neck. If he doesn't do anything, than he- No, he can't let himself finish this thought. He can't realize that fact! Even if his mind is about to give in, his body denies it with all it's might.

As the hand blade closed in, a blue light embraced Naruto's body and he used his Shingu as a last resort to get out of Zank's field of view.

"Wha-?" The beheader watched in surprise as the blond disappeared in an instant. Even though he could see his movements, the technique he just used was far more faster than his reaction speed. "Happy, Happy~!"

"GAAH!" Not far from Zank, Naruto fell down on one knee while grabbing his head with both of his hands. He was almost out of stamina but he still used his Shingu, and thanks to this, his headache became three times worse._ 'I need to get the hell out of here!'_ He pushed himself up and procceded to run as fast as he could.

"Found you!" A quick horizontal slash came at his head and nearly cut it in half if it wasn't for the sudden voice. The hand blade slashed his forehead, and even though he couldn't see anything with his left eye thanks to the now dripping blood, he continued to run away.

_'I'm pathetic!'_

"Not so fast!" Zank grabbed his coat's hood and throwed him down to the ground, following with a downward thrust with one of his blades.

"AAAH!" Naruto was unable to hold back his scream as he rolled out of blade's way. _'Is this all I got?!'_ Naruto kept running but he knew that he won't be able to get away from him like this. He can't even properly run because of his wounds. The only way to get away from him is to overload his Shingu like he did before in the forest with Akame to double or even triple his speed. Zank can see through solid objects but even a Teigu has it's limit!_ 'The sewers! Lubba told me about the sewer system beneath us, so if I can get down there without him realizing it too soon, I might be able to lose him!'_ This was a two-edged blade of course, since he can get lost easily.

Naruto took a left near the end of the street. He could already feel Zank's Teigu behind him, so he bit his lip and focused everything into his Shingu and prayed to whoever is up there he can get to the sewers in time. The blue light embraced his body once more and he disappeared in a flash.

The man behind him widened his eyes for a second before a smirk formed on his face. "Hmmm, so you made up your mind..." Zank looked where the blond previously was a few seconds ago and sheated his hand blades back to his sleeves. "How delightful, maybe if I let him go this time..." The man looked to his right, staring at a young woman's wanted poster. "...He might bring _'her'_ next! Happy, Happy~!" He read Naruto's thought and knew that he is from Night Raid, so it's only a matter of time until he brings her.

* * *

**Beneath the Capital.**  
**Sewer system.**

* * *

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff* Light footsteps echoed through the narrow sewers along with wastewater. Supporting himself with one hand on the wall walked Uzumaki Naruto, barely conscious. He had to push himself forward every time he wanted to make a single step. His vision was blury and his limbs were numb with his blood constantly dripping down to the ground.

A certain image appeared inside his mind. A boy... a younger version of him... walking down one of the long roads inside the Capital. His clothes were full of holes and tears were running down on his face, slowly washing away the nearly dried blood on his cheeks. This was the day when the Empire threw him out on the street just because he was a failure, because his fragile body was not able meet the crazy Prime Minister's expectations.

His current situation is just like that was. Walking down on an endless, imaginary road with the thought that he failed.

*Cough* *Cough*

His body was at it's end. He had no energy left. Naruto could only hope that Zank decided to not follow him down here. His numb hand slipped down the blury wall and his strength left him completely as he fell forward.

*Thud*

But before he could re-introduce to the cold and hard ground, someone grabbed him and place his body on his or her shoulder. Forcing his eyes open he saw the blurry figure of a familiar looking smiling blonde.

"Found ya~!" She said.

"What... Is that you... Leone?" Naruto's voice was faint but the busty woman heard it without a problem thanks to her enchanced hearing.

"Geez, it sure was hard to smell your scent down here of all places." Leone grinned as she placed Naruto on her back.

"Hehe... Sorry, but a molester with three eyes tried to force himself on me." Even in his current state, Naruto still joked around but his senses are leaving him by the second as he could barely hear Leone's giggling. "...And all of this for a stupid book..." Was the last thing he said before his eyes closed and his consciousness drifted away.

* * *

**One Week Later.**  
**Near the Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

A week have passed since the day Naruto encountered Zank, the Beheader, and six days since he regained consciousness. He was out for nearly 24 hours thanks to his wounds and the amount of blood he lost, but he was grateful to Leone for finding him in time and even let her tease him for a whole day as a reward what he later regretted. The blond was bedridden for another day but his friends... yeah, calling them simply teammates sounded wierd now since it's been two weeks already... His friends visited his room frequently where he informed everyone about Zank and his Teigu. Najenda immediately marked him as a threat they should dispose of.

Najenda also told him that she sent Tatsumi and Lubbock along with Leone to find him, but nobody had an encounter with Zank, though the amount of dead bodies on the streets were suspiciously higher than normal. Everyone were relived when they found out that Naruto's injuries are only temporary... well, except Akame who was clearly out of her character the whole time Naruto was stuck in his bed. She looked angry, then she suddenly looked happy, but that's nothing to when she insisted to feed him by herself.

Naruto tried to tell her that his arms are fine but she did not flinch from her spot. The weirdest thing happened when Leone heard about this and she too wanted to feed Naruto until the temperature in his room suddenly dropped. Naruto no longer felt awkward but scared when he sensed the killing intent and saw Akame glaring daggers at Leone for some unknown reason.

...Aaand the icing on the cake was when Lubbock dropped a handful of his_ favorite_ mangas from the bookstore on his desk. Well, Naruto IS a healthy young man after all.

After the blond finally regained enough strength to move around, he immediatelly sought out Akame in hopes that she can give him some advice. Naruto knew he was weak,not just physically but mentally. The despair overwhelmed him and that decreased his skills to nothing more than a simple footsoldier's.

So he did his best to train his mind in the previous five days.

And now here he was, sitting in front of a waterfall with eyes closed, wearing nothing else but his short. The slight movement of his chest is barely noticable even for a trained warrior.

His closed eyelids twitched when the sound of light footsteps disturbed his peace. Naruto slowly raised his head, staring at the nearby forest with his blue orbs while the water still splashed his back. A second or two later, Akame showed up, carrying a small box in her hands with a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong, Akame?" He asked gently. Somehow, seeing her looking sad like that can also affect his mood.

"...You skipped dinner again..." Akame avoided his gaze, staring down at the small box wrapped up with a white handkerchief.

Naruto jumped up and made his way next to her with a small smile on his face. "Sorry. I know that I'm selfish, being out here and not even talk to you guys, but this is something I need to do so I can live to see another day." Even though he said that jokingly, Akame glared at him for saying something like that. "So, I assume something big happened?" He asked while grabbing then putting on his clothes.

"Yes, Boss wants everyone in the Meeting Room."

"Oh, it's request-time then." As soon as Naruto finished, they both began to head back to the headquarters. The atmosphere was a bit awkward since neither of them said anything, so Naruto decided to tell her about his progress. "Akame, the thing I wanted you to teach me... I think I got it." He said as the young woman raised her head in surprise. "Well, it's nowhere near perfection, but I think I can do it in action now." She simply nodded, staring at the small box still in her hands. The little thing started to raise a couple questions inside the blond's head so he made up his mind and asked her about it.

"Akame, that box?" Hearing the question, Akame looked down then quickly reached it out in front of Naruto while turning her head away.

"You need to eat... So I brought you some meat and vegetables from dinner." The blond accepted it kindly while scratching the back of his head. He didn't really know what to say but he sure as hell was surprised.

"T-Thanks! I totally forgot to eat normally in these past few days." He chuckled sheepishly as he opened up the box. _'I might as well eat it on the way back.'_ He thought before glancing back to Akame who is still facing the other way. If it wasn't for the night, Naruto might have been able to see a cute red blush running across her cheeks.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**  
**One Hour Later.**

* * *

"Alright, listen up!" Najenda raised her voice to gain everyone's attention. Everyone were present in the room along with Naruto whose left shoulder and arm is still wrapped up in bandages. "The target this time will be familiar to one of you. We tried to track the guy down but without any reliable intel, we were unable to find him." Naruto narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.

_'So we finally found him...'_

"Zank, the Beheader! He is the rumored serial killer currently plaguing the Capital. Late at night, he will suddenly appear, and remove the head of his victim. It's unknown how many dozens of people he has killed so far, but after a week of our spies hard work and the information shards we recieved from the civilians, we finally narrowed down his favorite spots along with the time period of his murders."

"He is the guy who nearly got Naruto, right?" Tatsumi said as he remembered his state when Leone brought him in.

"Zank, the Beheader. Possessor of the Teigu, Spectator." Lubbock said it out loud as he adjusted his Teigu on his hands.

"Ummm... Pardon me... but who is he?" Sheele asked as everyone sweatdropped.

"I think you've just forgotten, Sheele, but he is the one who keeps terrorizing the people by killing anyone he meets." Mine answered as she began to explain Zank's story. "He originally worket at the empire's greatest prison as their executioner. Thanks to the Prime Minister, he had to execute countless of people and while he enjoyed every second of his job, it soon led him to his downfall and he turned insane." She said.

"Hah, makes sense. He couldn't shut his mouth for a minute..." Naruto crossed his arms. After a minute of silence, Najenda decided to continue.

"There is no information about his Teigu in the book, so all we have is what Naruto told us. All we know is that it has five different abilities related with_ 'sight'_. The first is called_ 'Clearsight'_ that lets him see through solid objects. The second is _'Future Sight'_, that lets him see what will the person in his field of view do next by seeing the smallest muscle movements in their body. And third,_ 'Insight',_ that enables him to read other people's mind... The other two are unknown."

"What a horrible guy!" Tatsumi stepped forward and made a fist. "We need to find and beat his ass!" The anger on his face was clear as day. Bulat stepped beside Tatsumi and patted his head, cooling him down in the process.

However, what Tatsumi just said raised a few questions in Naruto's head. '_'Yeah, I agree'..._ _is what I'd like to say, but last time he wiped the floor with me in only a few minutes. I was an idiot, thinking I can defeat a Teigu user without a plan.'_ Naruto kept staring at the ground as the others continued their conversation.

"The mission is to find Zank, kill him, then retrive his Teigu." Naruto raised his head and looked at Najenda, already knowing what she is going to say. "Naruto-"

"I'm going." His expression turned serious as he lifted up his bandaged left arm. "I know that I'm not in top shape but I can freely move, run and even fight without re-opening my wounds." Before anyone could say anything he continued. "I'm ready to take any kind of punishment for not listening to your order."

"Your reason?" The air suddenly felt heavy as Najenda focused her attention on Naruto.

"I want to find an answer for my question, and it's better if I find it now than later on." Naruto did his best not to flinch and endured his boss's aura.

*Sigh*

"Permission granted! If you made up your mind, we would have to restrain then keep you here. Lubbock, go with him and make sure he stays in one piece." The green-haired young man nodded as soon everyone began to leave for the Capital. "Naruto!" After the blond put on his now worn out coat with full of holes, he turned back to Najenda. "I found some info about your Shingu." His eyes widened. "It's not much, but I found its name and one of its possible abilities." The book was made from the pile of papers what the Revolutionary Army had about the weapons, so no doubt that some of the intels were over a houndreds of years old.

"The name of your Shingu is the Divine Wheel. The form it took was a wheel-like medallion with five swirl circles until the Empire turned the whole thing into liquid. One of its abilities is to allow the user to move at extremely high speeds while constatntly draining your stamina. The Empire used five different Danger Beast species to make it, that's why its safe to assume that it has five abilities... The five circles are also a proof to that."

Naruto placed his hand on his chest. The information wasn't much, but at least he took a step forward thanks to it. _'So there are ___things _still left to unlock...'_ He thought as Lubbock place his hand on his shoulder.

"No time to daydream now, let's go."

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Around Midnight.**

* * *

The moon shined through the thin clouds, providing a certain green-haired assassin just enough light to read his favorite manga series while sitting on a bench near probably one of the only shops that were open at this hour. He eagerly flipped through the pages with a smile on his face.

*Ring*

"Good night, Ojiisan!" Naruto stepped out of the shop with a straw cup in his hand. He needed something to refresh himself so he bought something to drink while Lubba stayed outside in case Zank is around, though even if he were, the beheader would have had an easy job, seeing that Lubbock was so into his manga that he haven't even heard him leaving the shop.

"Drinking on the job?" Okay, he take that one back, looks like Lubbock is still aware of his surroundings.

"Shut up, as if I can get drunk from a simple milkshake." Naruto countered as he shot him a glare. Closing his book with a grin, Lubbock stood up from the bench and checked his pocket watch. "Also, thanks for the enhanced item, it's simple and easy to use." Naruto added.

"No problem! You already know that I read a lot of manga where the characters have a badass equipment, so making something like that was a piece of cake." He said before turning back to check the time. "Oh man, this is such a drag..." Lubbock sighed as he put away his pocket watch after checking the time. Fighting against a Teigu user at night and head on is something he would like to avoid.

The two continued to walk down on the dark and empty street the next hour while talking or just simply joking around. Naruto never thought he would say this but Lubbock have become a really good friend of his. Time passed and the clock striked 1 a.m. So far, everything is quiet and there were no chopped off heads on the streets they searched.

"Naruto, how's your shoulder wound?" Lubbock asked.

"Tolerable." Naruto's voice was monotone and his face lacked any kind of emotion.

"Are you tired?"

"Slightly."

"Your new weapons?"

"Acceptable."

"Wow, you're really not in a good mood, huh?" Lubbock placed his hands behind his head and pouted. It feels like he is talking to a wall. His last comment however seemed to wake up the blond as he shook his head and blinked a few times.

"Ah, sorry. I'm just trying to concentrate on the technique Akame taught me. I'm nowhere near as good as her, so I need to focus at least 20 minutes before I can use it."

"Eeeh? So that was the reason you disappeared. You could have told us..." A sudden chill then went through Lubbock's body as he stopped and made a face what confused Naruto. "Umm, sorry but looks like nature is calling." He then quickly took off to a nearby alleyway, leaving the blond behind.

"I'm the one who drank that milkshake, but you are the one who needs to empty his tanks..." Naruto sweatdropped as he looked around, spotting a nearby bench. "Hope he doesn't take lo-" But before he could finish his sentence, his Shingu lit up with an extremely bright blue light. "What the hell?" He questioned.

*Whoosh*

Turning to his right, Naruto saw a blury figure leaving in a hurry. _'He is here!'_ Without a doubt, his Shingu is reacting to Zank's Teigu. Naruto turned back to the alleyway where Lubba disappeared and was unsure what to do for a second until he grit his teeth and went after the mysterious figure._ 'Sorry Lubba...'_ It was a stupid idea, but he still ran after the person._  
_

Street after street and alleyway after alleyway, Naruto could feel that Zank's presence is getting closer by every step. He is prepeared for any kind of traps what the man can throw at him. Arriving at a place what looked like a big square, the blond stopped. His enemy was nowhere in sight._ 'I'm sure that he is got to be here somewhere.'_ Left, right, front and above, each place was empty... The only place what's left is-

"What a pleasent surprise! Looks like we meet again." Behind him... Naruto widened his eyes as he heard Zank's voice. Not giving in to fear, he grabbed one of the weapons on his hip.

"Sneak Attack: Rule #1, shut the hell up!" Without looking, he delievered a powerful back-slash what successfully countered Zank's killing blow. The power when their blades collided created a powerful shockwave what seperated the two. Taking a few steps back, Naruto pointed a shortsword at his attacker. It was a bit longer than his knife was, but it didn't cause him any problems to wield it. He also had another one on the other side of his hip.

He was ready to start his assault until his supposed opponent came into his view. "Wha-?" Naruto's mouth remained open as the shock took over his body, completely paralyzing him. The person in front of him wasn't Zank. It was... "K-Kurome...?" His hands started shaking as he saw the familiar looking black-haired girl, face-to-face with him. She looked exactly like in his dreams, around the age of 9 but now with a knife in her left hand. "W-What are you doing here? Kurome?" Naruto's uncertain voice echoed through the place as he started to slowly walk up to Kurome.

"H-Hey, say something... I didn't forget about our promise..." He kept walking forward, his eyes were fixed on her and filled with agony.

Kurome, looking straight into Naruto's eyes, gave him a kind smile then took her first step forward and streched out her hands, signaling for him to hug her.

"I-I'm... I'm sorry..." Naruto sounded like he was on the verge of tears as he reached out with his empty hand to the girl, inches away from her head...

*SLASH!*

Then he cut Kurome in half with his shortsword, revealing a surprised Zank, whose hand blades blocked the attack. Naruto's eyes were shadowed by his hair as the fake Kurome disappeared into thin air. Silence took over the place as Zank just stared at the blond.

"H-How?!" Zank raised his voice in frustration. "You should have been seeing the person you love the most in this world!" He yelled while pointing at Naruto.

"I admit, it surprised me first... But," He slowly tilted his head up as a cold breeze blew away his hair from his eyes. His eyes are now filled hatred and determination, they were nothing like before when he first fought against Zank. "...You seriously thought that you can end my life by turning my own emotions against me?"

_'This kid! He is no longer afraid, and he had easily seen through my illusion with his new found resolve!'_

"It's been 10 years since I last saw her, so tricking me with her 9 years old self was more than enough for me to notice she is just a fake." The blond said. _'But still, the person you love the most in this world... I thought that would be someone like Sayo-chan... I'm clearly missing something here.'_

In the past 5 days, Naruto asked Akame to teach him how assassins think, how their minds work. He knew his mind was not ready for this work, so he had to train it for the future bloodshed. Akame taught him how to react in different kind of situations like when someone is overpowered by the enemy or afraid of said enemy's ability. He spent almost every day sitting under a waterfall to empty his mind. Though nowhere near as proficient as Akame, Naruto is now able empty his mind for a limited amount of time, switching into a mindless killer-like mode.

"I praise your efforts, boy. But they won't do any good against Spectator's abilities!" The Teigu on Zank's forehead opened again. "No matter what you do, it will be just like bef-" Zank immediately stopped as Naruto disappeared in a blue flash right in front of his eyes._ 'This technique again!'_

*Slash!*

With a powerful and sudden burst of wind, Naruto landed behind Zank on one knee. A little amount of blood was present on his blade.

*Drip* *Drip*

Zank swiped the blood off his right cheek, his back still facing the blond._ 'I underestimated him. He emptied his mind for only a few seconds so he can avoid getting his thoughts read. Without Spectator's 'Future Sight' ability, I'm pretty sure I would have received a far more serious wound.'_ Thanks to seeing the muscle movements in Naruto's body, he was able to take a step to the side and block the blond's attack, though the boy's blade still managed to slightly cut him. "Happy, Happy~!" He grinned.

"Let's go... Beheader. In the following thirty minutes, there will be an attack what even you won't be able to block."

"Don't think too highly of yourself just because you drew first blood, boy."

* * *

**Meanwhile at another location.**

* * *

"What took you so long, Tatsumi?" Akame asked as her teammate arrived from the alleyway where he_ 'finished his job'_.

"Ahh, sorry. I'm kind of on edge tonight." Tatsumi smiled awkwardly. He had the chance to finally learn what a Teigu really is and also what Teigus are in Night Raid's possession. Akame told him the story why the Teigus were created and invested by the Empire. He also learned the "Iron Rule" when two Teigu users clash with the intent to kill. He never thought that a girl around the same age as him have been lived through so many horrible things.

"Let's go. There is still one more place." Said Akame in her stoic tone.

"Yeah."

"UWOOOOO!" A loud voice came from behind them what got louder by the second. As the two turned around, they saw a familiar looking green-haired boy running towards them at highspeed. Tatsumi paled as his friend literally dragged a drift of dust behind him in a comical way.

"L-Lubbock, what's wrong?" Tatsumi asked as Lubba stopped in front of him, panthing heavily.

"Haaaah... We have a... Haaah... problem..." He bent forward, resting his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath. "It's Naruto... Haaaah... he is gone..."

"Naruto?! What happened?!" Akame's suddenly raised voice surprised the two.

"I left him for five minutes to help myself, but when I got back, he was nowhere in sight. I'm afraid I went to the completely opposite direction to look for him."

"And now we have a Teigu user in town. We need find him!" Tatsumi stepped forward as he looked into their eyes._ 'I have a feeling that he went after this Zank guy all by himself...'_ He thought. Without saying anything else, the three ran off in a hurry.

* * *

**With Naruto and Zank.**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

* * *

I take a step forward.

My first move, predicting Zank's counterattack, how to avoid it... I throw everything away and kick the ground.

I swing the shortsword in my hands. In a heartbeat, I close the ten meters between us, concentrate everything I have in my right arm, and swing down with all my might.

*Clash*

My attack's parried by one of the hand blades.

Ignoring it, I twist my body to avoid the other one then swing my weapon again. But it does no good. Zank wards off my attacks harmlessly, and his blade lunges to pierce my throat!

*Ka-ching!*

I stepped back and redirected the weapon in an instant. I can't even tell which one of us is more surprised. But I don't care. What matters is to kill the person in front of me.

The sparks fly as blades collide, bodies move like a superhuman and weapons move like lightning. I can only manage to defend. The only attack allowed for me was the first... the rest of the time is spent fending off his attacks. I've already blocked ten attacks that could've killed me.

I jump back in order to gain some space.

Time stops as the world around me begins to shake. As I thought, my body can't keep up with my mind. Even if I can empty my head, to fight without a single thought, a normal five day long training is still not enough. My limbs can't act on it's own.

*Clang*

But I can still manage. My vision follows each blow that comes to my way, telling my brain to react. Knowing that I can fight him is enough, so there might be a chance of victory.

My goal is to find an opening.

"HAAA!" I step forward, not caring about the hand blade slicing my forearm, then activate my Shingu. Faster than the eye can see I disappear and kick Zank in his stomach, sending the man back with all my strength. As he got pushed back, I tilted my head to the side, barely avoiding his counterattack, surviving with only a bleeding cheek. We both landed two hits on the other, we are even.

He dashes back with a devastating slash. "Kuh...!" My body jumps back. Zank's attack pushed me away, so I jumped back to regroup. I can clearly see in his eyes that I took him by surprise a moment ago, so this is the point when he too will get serious.

"Splendid! You surpassed my expectations! Your face shows nothing but pure determination. Just thinking about crushing your hopes again makes me glad that I've let you escape a week ago!

"HAAA!"

*Clash*

I try to catch my breath. Every muscle in me is on fire. It feels like the heat inside me is eating away my existence. I jumped back again. Even if he sees the future, I can at least take a breath in the following two seconds. I look down to my injured left forearm to inspect the wound. I don't care if blood is dripping down from my arm to the ground, the only thing that matters is that I can still use it. So long as they don't kill me, I don't mind receiving wounds from my opponent.

It's a problem that my movement precision's going down, but I fortunately don't feel any pain. I can block five more attacks from him. So I have to find an opening within the next five attacks and strike with everything I've got.

"Impossible. You cannot defeat me like that." But Zank quickly shoots down that idea. My mind is clear, so he couldn't possibly hear what I thought.

I charge forward, immeadiately blocking a quick thrust.

_'One.'_

I counted inside my head. I need to find an opening before I reach five. I have to move further, even if he sees my attacks. I need to go faster.

*Clang*

A powerful slash pushed me back but my stength was still enough to block it.

_'Two.'_

I twist my body while dodging his other attack. His face clearly shows the signs of amusement.

**#¤X&amp;#**

"Kuh..." Just when I thought I was alright, my headache returns. Like happened one week ago, this headache is not like when someone is sick, tired or just hearing a very loud noise. The first time I experienced it was when a Danger Beast nearly killed me while wandering around in a forest near the village. This stinging pain was the one what told me to run away when my life was in danger.

I brought my shortsword in front of me and blocked both of Zank's attacks at once.

_'Three...Four.'_

I got closer... I'm almost there. Just three more steps.

I took a deep breath. There is still no openings. I release one of my hands from the weapon and grab a small red hook-like button on my belt. I don't have time to be thinking... I have to move while I still can. I have to surpass my enemy in this exchange of blows.

I throw them. I release both with as much power as I can muster, and throw them from both sides.

"Useless!"

*Ka-ching!*

Without much effort, Zank deflects my thrown blade as I reach to my other one, still sheated on my hip. As he blocked my sword with his left hand blade, he left a portion of his chest wide open. Zank is ready to strike me down with his right hand blade. My weapon is still not ready to block, but I already set up my trap.

"What?!" Zank yells out in surprise as he can now finally see what my plan is. Even if can see the movements of my amrs and what I throw at him, his body is still human. His reaction time is not superhuman. Several small, almost unnoticable threads whip around his arm, surrounding it completely. With a simple pull, the threads tighten and Zank's arm got out of my way along with the weapon. My path is clear.

"HAA!"

*Slash!*

In a blink of an eye, I land behind Zank as I stare at my now blood stained weapon. Without a doubt, I got him.

*Splash*

I hear his blood escaping from the wound I inflicted then falling down to the ground. I don't know if he was just lucky or skilled, but he tilted his head in the last moment. I was unable to reach his throat, but I still sliced through his left shoulder.

"I told you..." I said with confident while turning around. "...That one of my attacks will get through your defense." I pointed to his wound while cutting down the threads from my belt to seperate myself.

I asked Lubba a couple days ago to help me create something I can use to immobolize the opponent. A day or two later, he showed up with my belt in his hands, saying that he added some of his Teigu's threads into the thing. The threads quality were nowhere near as good as when they are connected to his Teigu, and even though they are no longer sharp enough to sever the victim's limbs, they are still capable to hold someback back.

Zank's wound is not fatal but it certainly going to give him some troubles. A sudden pain went through my body as my left arm started to shake violently. My wound reopened and now changing the color of my shirt to red.

After I blink once, then twice, Zank kicked himself off the ground then charged at me with all his might. His movements are fast, but I can already see where he is going to aim. I carefully position my sword in front of the attack to block it.

But faster than I can react, he moves his arm slightly to my left, avoiding my blade.

*Stab!*

"GAAAH!" He stabbed me near my freshly reopened wound. I almost fell down to the ground from the unbrearable pain. "Kuh..."

"And I told you to don't think too highly of yourself, YOU SNOT NOSED LITTLE SHIT!" He pulls out his weapon from my body then raises both up to the dark sky. The two blades draw an arc so they intersect right on the enemy. Me. Nobody can come out unscathed after being trapped between them. I still can't see properly from the pain, but I swing my sword to counter his attack.

**#¤X&amp;##¤X&amp;#**

*CLANG!*

My counter attack was a success, but I got pushed away from him right after my blade met his. I fell to my back before rolling a couple meters.

"You really need to see things through, boy." Here he comes with his speeches again. "I told you that I can see the future. So why is it that you are only serious when it comes to offense? Your blocking style is too simple." Simple, he said? What the hell does that mean? "You move your weapon to counter mine the moment you figure out where they will land. Don't you think that someone who is able to see the future can change the location?

"...!" Redirecting his own attacks in a blink of an eye? I thought only people like Akame can pull that off. Then it hit me. It's not just a Teigu what is between us... The gap is way bigger. His skills and senses are sharp while mines are dull. I've only been receiving those trainings since I joined Night Raid while he is doing this since God knows when.

"Thinking about victory is understandable, but achieving it is different."

He is right. I emptied my mind so I can forget about the fear and just move forward like a machine. There are people who can do it, but I'm certainly not one of them. I never thought that I will learn so much and knock on Death's door so many times in the past couple weeks... Though the door always stays shut, I can feel that someone is watching from the peephole. But... when the time comes, Uzumaki Naruto will make sure to kick that door right in.

*Ba-dump*

"Hehe... Thank you for that." I get up from the ground, tearing down the already useless coat from my body. "I was a bit arrogant back there. I couldn't accept the fact that a normal person can't fight against a Teigu user." Throwing away my emotionless mask what I wore up until now, a smile formed on my face. My shoulder is burning up. I hope I can avoid necrosis or any kind of infection.

"Happy, Happy~. Then you admit it."

"I admit that a normal person can't fight a Teigu user head on, nothing more and nothing less." I raise my shortsword and point it to him. "However, just like you with that eye of yours, I'm not exactly a normal person either." My Shingu is still here, that is got to be something. "This doesn't make me think that I will win, but it gives me hope that I won't die."

**Normal P.O.V.**

_'I see, the glowing orb inside his chest must be the reason why he can move so fast. Hmmm, he is a lot harder to break than last time.'_ Zank thought as he eyed the blond with interest. "Then let me ask you something, boy. Have you ever taken someone's life before, or this is your first attemp?"

"It's not something I want to remember, but I rather kill the ones who deserve it than let them play with other people's lives." Seeing the children starving on the streets. Witnessing the poeple fight, steal and kill just to it again the following day. To think this is the city where he lived his first ten years...

"How delightful. And? What do you about the voices?"

"Voices?"

"Yes. The voices that never stop. The voices that drift up from hell... The moans of those who have been murdered! The ones that bear a grudge... Constantly calling for me to join them in hell." Zank said as a dark aura surrounded his figure. "Since my time as executioner, I've always heard them. But recently they've been especially loud. I quiet them by speakin-"

"Shut up..." Naruto's calm voice interrupted him.

"...?"

"I can tell that most of the people you executed were innocent, used as a target while keeping the Empire's image flawless." He felt disgusted. "Killing innocents while they are begging for their life... Everyone would go insane..." Naruto raised his weapon next to his head, pointing it to Zank.

"I see... So you are eager to finish this. Very well." The man wanted to break Naruto's will to fight, but now that the blond's mental strength increased to a whole new level. He erased that thought, walking slowly towards the opposing young man. In front of him, Naruto finally managed to hide his expressions behind a neutral mask.

Moving his injured left arm up and down, the young Uzumaki sighed in relief. _'Good, the blade didn't cause serious internal damage, I can still move my arm.'_

They both charge against each other as Naruto strikes first. But Zank blocked the attack like it was nothing. He easily redirects Naruto's shortsword, pushing it out of his hands with a swing. The man closes in on his unarmed opponent.

"Tch!" Naruto stomped his feet on the ground and grabbed his still flying weapon in mid air faster than a blink of an eye. He regained his balance and executed a perfect diagonal slash. This time, he was the one who pushed back his opponent. The wind danced around them violently as they exchanged blows.

_'What is this?'_ Zank thought while attacking than blocking in highspeed. He unleashed one of his fastest attack with the combination of the information he received from his Teigu, and yet Naruto dodged it with his strange ability. A surprise attack come from an unexpected direction._ 'Wha-!?'_

*Clang!*

The former executioner used his cognition-like instincts and avoided the counter attack. Taking advantage of the perfect opening, Naruto strikes again._ 'He got better again! It's like the battle experience he is receiving from this fight forcefully increases his talents... But that's impossible!'_ Zank blocked the attack then cut the blond's leg.

Not caring about his injuries, Naruto dashed forward, forcing Zank to take a step back. He aims an attack containing full force at the Teigu user, but he was faster and cut his side.

"Kuh..." *Huff* *Huff* "HAAAA!" Another attemp, but it failed just like the others._ 'Faster!'_ Naruto released another powerful swing.

*Clang!*

_'Better!'_ Like it was nothing, he moved forward, pushing his enemy back as their blades clashed. He stepped back and delivered another slash.

*Clang!*

*Crack*

_'Stronger!'_ Small cracks started to form on his blade as the attack got blocked._ 'I can see his movements now and understand how his Teigu works!'_ He grabbed the hilt of his weapon with both hands and raised it above his head as glowing red lines made their way up to completely surround the blade.

"I'm getting sick of your... BULLSHIT!"

*Break!*

Naruto channelled all of his remaining strength then executed a devastating vertical slash, immediately breaking Zank's left hand blade and slicing him on the chest. The Teigu user stepped back several feet as surprise took over his body.

...

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff* Naruto was panting heavily, feeling that he is only a few steps away from falling down to the ground.

*Crack!*

*Break!*

Looking down to his weapon, the shortsword finally reached its limit and shattered on its own as the red lines disappeared._ 'Tch. So much for my new weapons.'_

"How dare you..." Naruto looked back to the still standing Zank. The man's eyes were filled with rage.

_'Shit! The wound is not deep enough!'_ Naruto thought as he stared at the wound he caused. His plan was to crush Zank's weapon and slice his chest open. _'How could he react so fast to a surprise attack!'_

"Did you think that I would really be killed by the likes of you!?" The Teigu user yelled.

"Heh! You are one to talk! What is with your ill-reputed job as an executioner!? Don't make me laugh, I bet you were fired because of your shitty accuracy!" Naruto taunted darkly. He spotted his other sword lying on the ground not too far for him, so if he runs as fast as he can, he might be able to make it.

"SHUT UP!" Zank charged foward with his remaining hand blade-

*Splash!*

"!?" But as soon as he took three steps forward, blood escaped from his right shoulder and his hand turned numb... Then his whole right arm fell down to the ground. "What!?"

Naruto stared at the man who just lost his right arm. He was startled, no, he was downright shocked. Then it hit him, a strange sensation came from his chest as his Shingu shined in the night. He looked to his left, spotting a familiar looking green-haired assassin. "Lubba!"

"He is all yours, Akame-chan!" Lubbock grinned as the threads from his Teigu danced around his figure.

A person with long black hair and a katana in her hands above shadowed Naruto and Zank. Her red eyes stared murderously at the man who lost his arm. "Eliminate." That was the only thing she said before she brought down her weapon and slit Zank's throat while landing on the ground perfectly.

_'A-Amaizing! Their teamwork was flawless...'_ Naruto widened his eyes. _'...And she killed him in a blink of an eye.'_

"Hey, Naruto! Are you alright!?" As Murasame's poison killed Zank, Naruto turned his head to the side, seeing Tatsumi running towards him. He let out a tired sigh as he sat down on the cold ground. Tatsumi picked up his sword what he used to distract Zank and gave it back to Naruto.

"Yeah... Though my shoulder have certainly seen better days." He won't be training anytime soon that's for sure. Akame sheated her katane and walked up to Naruto, kneeling down in front of him while checking his shoulder. He is loosing way too much blood.

"I tend your wounds." She said. It was a mistery how and where did Lubbock get bandages and a small flask of medicine, but he just gave both to Akame, who quickly disinfected the wound and wrapped it up with the bandage. Of course, the bleeding did not stop, even if she compressed the wound, so a possible long treatment already awaits for the blond when he gets back to the Night Raid Headquarters.

"Thanks, Akame!" Naruto pulled his shirt back on as he thanked the young woman, who suspiciously glared at him the whole time. The atmosphere felt awkward for Naruto as he tried to say something to Akame, to possibly calm her down. "Uh... I know that you are angry and-"

***WHACK*** "Ouch!"

But he didn't have enough time to finish as Akame whacked him on the head with an emotionless face.

"What was that for?" Naruto grabbed his head with both hands, resting his fingers on the nasty lump what Akame's fist created.

"For going up against a Teigu user alone." She answered. Alright, he had that one coming for doing something stupid, leaving his teammate alone and running straigth to the enemy. The green-haired young man stepped forward and knelt down to Naruto's level with an unreadable face then-

***WHACK*** "Ouch!"

He too, whacked Naruto in the head.

"And what was... _That_... for?" Another lump appeared on his head.

"For leaving me behind! You scared me, man!" Okay, he deserved that too.

***WHACK*** "Ouch!"

Tatsumi also whacked him in the head

"YOU JUST COULDN'T STAND TO BE LEFT OUT? HUH!?" Naruto yelled as he held his head while looking at Tatsumi.

"You should be proud of our teamwork..." Tatsumi shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face. The atmosphere quickly took 180 degree turn as Naruto and Tatsumi began to chuckle. The young Uzumaki was glad that he survived the encounter with the Teigu user, Zank. Akame took the man's Teigu from his forehead and walked back to the others.

"Tatsumi, can you carry him?" She asked while the young man in question sweatdropped.

"S-Sure..."

"No way!" Naruto made a cross with his arms as he objected. "Bulat forced my mind to develop a defensive mechanism when a man tries to carry me. Don't worry, Akame. I can walk." This was the moment when Naruto realized that he screwed up.

"...No..." A dark, gloomy aura surrounded the girl while she glared daggers at Naruto. He immediately accepted his fate and let Tatsumi carry him on his back. While the two were behind, Akame and Lubbock walked in front, Akame having several snacks in her hands and Lubbock reading his manga while checking the street every now and then.

"Things really got livelier with them around, huh? I'm kinda jealous." Lubbock pouted. He took his snack from his pocket and reached out with his hand to Akame, who just finished her's. "Yosh! Since you took care of the enemy, here you go!" He said.

*Nom!*

"Eh...?" Instead of just the snack, Akame bit Lubba's whole hand. "AAAH!"

Behind the two, Tatsumi was crying anime tears as an unimpressed and hungry Naruto kept nudging him to move faster. His wounds are not fatal, but they still hurt him.

"Oi, walk faster, Tatsumi! We are burning daylight." Naruto said in a stoic tone. His stomach growled.

"Shut up! And what the hell, Naruto?! We are in the middle of the night!"

Lubbock smiled along with Akame as the two person behind them continued to act like a child. However, they are assassins. They can't think about a peacful life filled with laughter and happiness... Not until they finish their job and change the Capital. Akame looked up to the sky with worried eyes.

Anyone can fall in the next battle...

...With no exception.

"Naruto! I swear if you keep nudging me-"

"N-No... Tatsumi, can you just put me down for a second? I... I don't feel too... My head... Head is... Don't feel..." Naruto kept mumbling words incoherently before his mind gave in, making him fell down to Tatsumi's shoulder, unconscious._ '**#¤X&amp;##¤X&amp;#**'_ It felt like several hot needles were inserted into his brain. He couldn't think, couldn't speak and he heard a loud, screeching noise from every direction.

"This isn't the time to- Hey, Naruto? HEY!?"

* * *

**Chapter 4: END**

* * *

**xXxXxXx**

**In Chapter 5: Kill Your Assumptions.**

**xXxXxXx**

**"There is a price for using even the smallest of things in this world. Now you now what you are going to lose."**

**xXxXxXx**

**"I leave Tatsumi to you, Sheele."**

**xXxXxXx**

**'Is that really a dog?'**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Don't worry, Naruto. I can see that you are a good person! I'll say a thing or two for you to my superiors!"**

**"I-I know I said that I tried to join with my friend to become a soldier, but that was a mistake. I don't want to join the**  
**Empire anymore!"**

**"They might even hire you as my partner to protect the Capital from the evil-doers!"**

**"HEY!" Naruto shivered. 'Oh crap! I just made things a houndred times worse!'**

**xXxXxXx**

**"M-Mine... W-What... did you say...?"**

**xXxXxXx**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Why the different P.O.V.?: **I wanted to focus on Naruto more, to show how he deals with the situation and how sees it. Though switching between_ normal_ and his point of view might not have been my brightest idea.

**Capability Acceleration:** By experiencing and seeing the vast difference between his and his opponent's power in a life-or-death situation, Naruto's mind developed a defensive mechanism that forcefully improves his reaction time, awareness and reflexes. However, this puts a great amount of strain on his brain what can even cause slight brain damage or memory loss if overused. (The headache is a sign for a reason, and this is why Naruto can't remember a thing when he was in the Capital.) The rather dark origin of this ability/curse will be explained later on.

**Divine Wheel: (I know, I suck at naming objects, abilities, etc.)**  
Like all other Shingu, it was created four hundred years in an attempt to surpass the power of a Teigu. The Empire used five completely different Danger Beast species, giving the Shingu five different abilities.

**-Speed:** This ability allows the user to move at extremely high speeds. Activating this skill in a row at the same time will multiply the user's speed. So far, Naruto experienced no drawbacks other than it consumes his stamina.

**-Detection:** It allows to user to detect any kind of Teigu.

**-Strength:** The user can channel the Shingu's power from his body into an object with a single touch. Red, glowing lines escape from the user's body and surrounds the chosen object, altering its shape like by making a weapon's blunt side sharp. The user's own power then gets transfered into the weapon or object, increasing its power. It doesn't increase the said object's durability, and it will usually shatter or break after a single use because the inserted power tears it apart.

**-?**

**-?**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Ah... Weekend, what a perfect opportunity to relax and hang out with our friends... But since I have none, I might as well just ****upload this new chapter while crying in a corner.**

**I started to slowly build up the plot for the future. The ending of Volume 3/ beginning of Volume 4 will be the branching point.**

**Also, I'm sorry to say this, but the Esdeath/Esdese route is reserved for my other story in the near future. (When this one is ****done.)**

**I learned my lesson about the P.O.V. change last chapter, so I won't do it again.**

**If something is not clear, feel free to ask by sending a pm.**

**Thank you for everything as always! :3**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Kill Your Assumptions.**

_"In our mind's eye lives an unforgetable memory... Blinded by our own monster, yet we still can't describe what it is. It's there... and yet it isn't. I know mine, are you sure you know yours?"_

Uzumaki Naruto... 10 years old. The only piece of information what one can get about the little boy in the snow filled village, far from the Capital. It's been 3 hours since he woke up from his eternal slumber-like state, and the only thing he could say were his name and how old he is. He kept repeating them like they are the only possible words for him to say. His emoitionless face showed nothing. A boy, who should have been smiling all the time is now an empty shell without a soul. Naruto is currently sitting on a bed, staring at the blanket while listening to someone... an old man talking about why he is here in the middle of  
nowhere up near the mountains. Not like the young boy cares about where he is.

"Are you sure you can't remember anything?" The elderly man asked him. He sat on a chair not far from the bed. The man was tall and thin, with silver hair and long beard. His eyes were soul-piercing shade of blue, and twinkled with power and mischief. He looked like a typical retired veteran who survived hell itself.

Hearing the man's question, Naruto shook his head slowly while still staring at the blanket. After seeing that the little boy understands and recognizes his surroundings, the man sighed in relief and stood up from his chair then walked out of the small room, closing the worn out wooden door behind him. The room wasn't much. A lot of cracks were present on the walls, paintings and pictures were nowhere to be seen, and beside the bed, the chair, and a single bedside table, it was empty.

"Shin-sama, how is he?" Another, a much younger and feminine voice could be heard from the other side of the door. God knows what kept the tumble-down door still together. The person's voice who asked this supposed _'Shin-sama'_ was filled with worry. "I brought some water."

"Well, he knows what's happening around him and understands what I'm saying, so his brain is most likely not damaged. Though, the brat suffers from acute stress disorder. Emotional detachment, muteness, I can go on with the signs and symptoms. It's a miracle that he is even alive... and that wound on his chest, it's like someone wanted to pull out something from there or worse, wanted to put something inside. The marks on his arms and neck are also the signs that he received several injections, multiple times."

Meanwhile inside the room, Naruto heard everything what the old man said. His blue orbs were still fixed on the pale white blanket when a sharp pain run through his chest then the rest of his body. He was unable to move, so he did not see the red line running through his veins. It hurt, but he couldn't scream. Soon, the lines arrived to his fingertips, making him look like some kind of monster with all of his veins visible, colored bright red.

***Open***

The door opened and the lines immediately run back to his chest-area like they've already completed their task. "Here. Drink." The old man, Shin, said as he reached out a cup of water in front of the boy, who remained motionless. "Brat, I don't care what happened to you or what you've been through, but you are in my house, and you can hear what I'm saying. So if you keep being a statue, I might as well just throw you out and have you as my gnome in my yard." His powerful tone echoed in the small room.

"Shin-sama!" A young woman stepped into the room. She had yellow eyes, and light brownish yellow hair down to her shoulders. This woman's name is Hana, who is currently studying under the old man as his apprentice. Shin, the retired man was an imperial soldier in the past, who also has a lot of knowledge in medicine and psychiatry. He left the Capital years ago and moved here to the village in order to live the rest of his life in peace. He is reclusive, sometimes rude, and looks down on people who lost their way, but most of the time he is a calm, collected and responsible man. "He is just a little boy!" Hana defended the young Naruto.

"No, he isn't." Shin replied negligently as he placed the cup of water on the bedside table then looked into his apprentice's eyes.

"Eh?"

"All I see is a newborn baby, who can't even cry out to his parents to show he is alive... Well, not like he has any."

"Shin-sama, t-that's too mu-"

***Tap***

A sudden and loud sound interrupted their conversation. Looking towards the source, the two saw that the completely filled cup was now empty. "Heh." The old man snickered. On the bed, sitting just like a minute before was Naruto. A drop of water rolled down from his mouth as he slightly narrowed his eyes, still staring at the blanket. "Hooo? Looks like the brat still got some life in him."

...

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Naruto's Room.**  
**Early Morning.**

* * *

"?!"

Ocean blue eyes stared at the ceiling as a young man raised his right arm up and placed it on his forehead. "What a weird dream..." Naruto muttered as he scratched his cheeks and let his eyes adjust to the sunlight coming through the opened window. What time was it? Probably still morning. "Tch... Why is my shoulder..." A stinging pain came from his left shoulder every time he took a deep breath. Then he remembered the fight against Zank and how he received his injury by being overconfident. "Oh, that's why."

He closed his eyes to relax for a couple minutes and let his mind wander on it's own. The blond kept thinking about his dream and the reason why does he have to remember that piece of memory. Shin, the grumpy old man who found him is... was his caretaker for a good amount of time. It felt weird, the man didn't really care about the young Uzumaki, but he could never hate him for that. He was the one who gave him food, water, taught him the basic things like hunting... well, not like Naruto could do anything with his 10 years old body, but it was good to know how to make traps for animals like rabbits.

At the age of 11, he met the young Tatsumi and the two quickly became friends. He was the main reason Naruto successfully developed his current personality. Soon, he met a young boy named Ieyasu and a couple months later a young girl named Sayo. The four were nearly inseparable but the village's chief kept bothering Naruto to learn the way of the warrior. Well, thinking back to those frustrating moments, they WERE kind of useful in the end. Though he hated to use those wooden swords while the old geezer laughed his arse off when he shattered them in half with his own.

Sadly, time flew by and the old man Shin had become ill. At the age of 12, it was Naruto's turn to try and help the one who gave him a home. But he was unable to do anything. Shin died soon after because of a simple flu. A flu... Fate really is weird. Sometimes, the man's dying words still haunted him... Not because they were frightening, but because they were none. The two just stared at each other without saying a word. From Naruto's perspective, the man lying on the bed was the same grumpy person who never smiles and from Shin's perspective, the boy standing next to the bed was the same brat he rescued and brought to the village from the Capital. In silence, the man passed away, closing his eyes for the last time. There were no _'goodbyes'_, _'last-chance-smiles'_... nothing. Naruto respected him and was actually sad when he just disappeared from his life, but no tears were shed.

***Sigh***

"Grumpy old man... what did you see in me that made you save me from the Capital...?" Naruto whispered, his eyes still closed. Of course, after hearing Najenda's explenation that he was actually from the Capital, he put the pieces of the truth together. "But why did they put me in that cell with Kurome? What did I do?" He still did not have any memory, aside some fragments with Kurome, before he turned 10. What was the day of his birth again? He only knew how old he was when he appeared in the village, so he picked a random date from the calendar. It was always awkward to celebrate it.

"Aaah, damn it all! I have other things to worry about anyway." He ruffled his hair then pushed the blanket off from his body. He sat up to open his eyes...

Then...

"H-Huh? What?" Naruto could only open his right eye. "What the hell?" He tried to lift up his left arm to check his eye but it did not respond to his will. His left leg was also stiff and he couldn't feel it. The whole left side of Naruto's body was paralyzed._ 'Are you kidding?'_ He tilted his head to the side and looked at his unresponsive left arm. He focused everything to make the arm move but nothing happened. Sky-rocketing his concentration, he finally regained the control, making his left arm twitch suddenly.

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

"What-GAAAH!" The well known headache from his fight against Zank returned but twice as painful than before. He fell back to the pillow, holding his head. Was it 10 seconds or 10 hours? He will never know, but the pain left his body as quickly as it came. He panted heavily like he just finished his physical training with Bulat.

***Drip* *Drip***

"Eh?" It felt like some kind of liquid flew down from his nose then dropped down to his pillow. Naruto immediately knew what it was after seeing it's color. "Blood?" Fresh blood came from his nose, but the bleeding was only momentarily and stopped after a few seconds. First his body, followed by the headache, then the nosebleed... Whatever is happening to him, Naruto was almost one houndred percent sure that it's because of the fight from before. He stood up then walked to a nearby table and pulled out a tissue from a small box, then wiped the blood from his face.

"I did survive the battle against Zank, but not without a price... huh?" Like before, he was only in his orange short while bandages covered his upper body, mostly the left side where his shoulder wounds are located. Naruto looked at his left hand and shook it up and down to check if there were any unusual signs, but looks like he is good.

"Well, I'm fine now." He went and grabbed his clothes from a wardrobe. It was suprisingly big, his clothes only filled thirty percent of it's space. "Now that I think about it, I need a new coat..." Also, a certain worn out orange shirt with full of holes rested on a nearby chair, practically begging it's owner to fix the poor thing. "Crap, not good. That was from Sayo-chan. Wait, Lubba can sew it back together with his threads, right?"

***Grooowl***

"I need to change my pillow sheet... But first things first, Ramen-chan!" A bright smile appeared on his face as Naruto carefully calculated the amount of ramen he is going to eat before leaving his room in a hurry. He assumed he was unconscious for a while, so his stomach was already out of control. He went out in a yellow shirt under a black unzipped vest, and brown trousers.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Dining Room.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

...

"...So, what am I supposed to do with this apple?" Naruto mumbled as he held a nice red apple in his hand while pointing at it with his other. The people with him were Najenda, Lubbock and Leone who eagerly carried a basket full of fruits around the dining room.

A few minutes earlier, Naruto stepped inside the dining room where he soon got squeezed between Leone's bust much to his annoyance. He just can't understand the woman. After a small talk with Najenda, she told the blond that he was out cold for two days straight. Akame informed her about Naruto's strange behaviour before he passed out but he just simply shrugged it off, saying he was just exhausted. That wasn't the truth of course. However, he wanted to keep the headaches and what happened in the morning a secret... for now. Najenda narrowed her eye in suspicioun but did not say anything further.

Not beating around the bush, Naruto soon declared his need for the Food of the Gods and made his way to the kitchen to prepare his meal before an apple got thrown in his way. He caught it without even looking at the incoming fruit from his left. This sudden action made him a bit confused since he could never do something like this in the past, but he just shook his head and searched for his mysterious attacker. That's when he saw Lubbock standing next to a basket named _'Akame's Harvest'_ filled with all kinds of fruit.

Back to the present...

"...So, what am I supposed to do with this apple?"

"Eat it of course." Lubbock shrugged with his shoulders as he too grabbed one. "It's half past 11, lunch is only a few hours away now anyway." He took a bite and started to eat the fruit.

Meanwhile, Naruto's expression turned horrified but the blond soon accepted his fate. Though his stomach's constant yearn for food was bothersome. He walked back to a nearby chair with his head lowered and sat down. Taking a quick nervous look at the apple, Naruto sighed before his stomach started to growl again.

***Crunch***

"Nnn... I'm wondering if it's really smart to put Sheele-san in charge of Tatsumi." Lubbock wondered out loud between two bites. Najenda, who also went to grab a fruit what Akame harvested, looked back and gave the green-haired young man a reassuring nod.

"There won't be any issue. I think they'll get along fine together."

"Oh? Tatsumi is with Sheele?" Naruto joined the conversation.

"Yes. The two never really had the chance to convers with the other, so this might be a good time to talk freely while Sheele also trains Tatsumi." After hearing Najenda say that, Naruto immediately sweatdropped. He too, haven't talked much with the clumsy girl.

"What makes you say that, Najenda-san?" Lubbock grew curious.

"It's good for Tatsumi to have an more experienced teacher." Well, Naruto didn't know how experienced Sheele is, but Najenda is right that the most important thing he and Tatsumi needs is experience. He already had a glimpse of what the enemy can do with a Teigu in their arsenal, but Tatsumi still lacks that experience.

"Here, here~!" Leone popped out from behind them with one of her hand raised. "I've got dibs on using Naruto next!"

"Oi! I'm not toy you can play around with!" By the time Naruto said it, she was nowhere in sight. _'Why am I even bothering with this?'_ He sighed then stood up from his position and threw the apple-core in the nearest trash can. "Might as well check those two." The blond stepped out of the dining room and left the building.

* * *

**Outside at a nearby stream.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

"BWAH!"

***Splash***

Tatsumi emerged from the water, breathing heavily as the heavy armor he is wearing keeps his movements as hard as possible. "Guh!" He punched the ground as he made it to the waterfront and used his strength to push himself up. The morning hours were like this as soon as he donned the armor. Sheele instructed that he should swim as fast as he can without going under the water, but Tatsumi's body is not as built as Bulat's, so he had a hard time.

"Well done, swimming in that armor." She praised him while sitting on a nearby rock, watching the boy's every movement.

"Hahh... So heavy... Hahh... This is hard!" He panted.

"This is the curriculum I came up with for assassin training." Sheele informed him. "Since I don't have a job at the hideout, I can concentrate on training you."

"Why don't you have a job?" Tatsumi asked curiously. He has the kitchen as his workplace, prepearing food and improving his cooking skills. Not like Naruto who refuses to make anything other than ramen. The brown-haired young man can still remember the time when Naruto made a quick lunch for him and... Sayo and Ieyasu. That was a bad idea, remembering them after his dream where they said their final words and left him... It still hurts.

Hearing Tatsumi's question, Sheele expression turned stoic and soon silence took over the area. She looked too embarrased to say anything for a moment but then gathered her courage. "I got the normally cool Akame angry when I tried to cook. When I tried to do the cleaning, all I did was make a bigger mess for Bulat to clean up. And when I did the shopping, I mistook salt for sugar. Leone couldn't stop laughing." Tatsumi sweatdropped. "Also, when I tried to do the laundry... I carelessly washed Mine with the clothes. "She placed her hands on her legs while trying to hide her blush what appeared on her face from the embarrasment.

...

"For some reason, I don't mind about that last one." It was quite unexpected that Sheele turned out to be an excellent assassin. But still, to wash Mine with the clothes..._ 'That last one was sort of well done.'_ Tatsumi thought.

"You're not the only one..." Came a familiar voice from his right. Upon turning his head, Tatsumi saw Naruto walking towards them with his usual fox-like grin while he raised one of his hand and waved. "Yo!"

"Naruto?"

"Naruto! You're up?! Geez, you scared me back there, I thought your injuries were more serious or something!" Upon hearing Tatsumi, Naruto grinned with his arms crossed.

"Hehe! I'm too awesome to die from something like that. Uzumaki Naruto will never stop until he-"

***Grooooooowl***

"...Eats his ramen." He lowered his head while massaging his stomach. So much for his speech for being awesome. "By the way, mind if I watch you practice a little? I can't train with my injured shoulder and I'm bored." Naruto directed the question to Tatsumi but looked at Sheele for permission. He needs to recover fast in order to continue his training, and Leone already said she is going to team up with him next.

"I don't mind." Sheele answered kindly as she took off her glasses and tried to clean it with a handkerchief before accidently dropping it. "Ah!" She reached down and began to search for it. "Oh no, my glasses..." Naruto sighed loudly but a small smile was present on his face, he somehow just got used to her clumsiness over the time. Tatsumi on the other hand had mixed feelings. It's hard to believe that she is a highly trained killer.

"Ummm, do you mind if I ask why you're in this line of work, Sheele?" The brown-haired boy asked the young woman, who finally found her glasses and put it back on, adjusting it a few time. The sudden question got Naruto's attention as he too was curious how a kind person like her ended up doing this kind of job.

"...It's a long story, but..." Then she told the two how her life changed, how she ended up walking on this path. Sheele grew up in the lower district of the Capital. Life was hard, but thanks to her parents hard work they did not starve and lived in happiness, even if they had little money. However, ever since she was young, no matter what she did, Sheele was always clumsy, and this clumsiness made finding jobs hard. For her, there was nothing she could be proud of. Those who knew her kept saying that she had a screw loose somewhere in her head and she should just disappear.

Even if she received many such insults in her life, there was one person who wanted to be friends with her even knowing how she was. This sudden change made her happy, because no matter how clumsy she was, the time she spent with her friend was the only thing she could say she liked about life. They could talk freely to each other while enjoying their time...

Until that day...

One day when Sheele was visiting her friend, an angry man arrived at her door. It was her ex-boyfriend and he resented being dumped by her and started getting violent. Not caring about the young Sheele, the man grabbed the woman right in front of her and started choking her. Sheele assumed the man was high on drugs. She could not think of anything else but that she must save her friend. She quickly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and aimed for his throat. After saving the woman, her friend could not stop shaking while staring at his now dead body. But somehow, Sheele's mind was clear the whole time.

"Eventually, the incident would be ruled an act of self-defense." She looked down as she stopped to take a quick breath. "But my friend never wanted to see me again. And then..."

Not long after while she was walking through the city, a group of men suddenly appeared before her. They wanted revenge for the man she killed. One of the man revealed that they've already killed her parents and now it's her turn to leave this world. However, Sheele remained calm and grabbed a knife she kept for self-defense to strike one of her attacker's vital spot. She used his body as a shield than proceeded to kill the other men one by one. That was the point where she understood that the only thing she is good in is killing. She can get rid of society's trash.

"Not long after that, I was scouted by the revolutionary army to carry out assassinations in the Capital." And with that, she finished her story. It took a moment or two to Tatsumi and Naruto to process all this. Hearing a story like that leaves an impact on the listeners.

...

"I... see." Naruto looked down. Halfway through Sheele's story, he decided to sit down on the ground. He kept holding a small rock in his hand, staring at it with a blank expression. _'Even if we are different, our past still connects us, and it all comes down to the Empire... directly or indirectly.'_ Naruto gripped the stone as hard as he could. It was his decision to join and change the Capital one way or another... there is no turning back now.

Next to him, Tatsumi was thinking about the same thing. _'...It seems everyone has their circumstances.'_

The two remained silent, not moving an inch.

"Ah, I forgot!" Sheele exclaimed as she looked at Naruto. "Mine came back from the Capital in the morning and wanted to talk with you, but you were still asleep so she left. I suggest you go and talk with her."

A sudden chill ran though the blond's limbs. "W-Wait a second. You mean..._ 'that'_ Mine?" She nodded. _'Something is not right.'_ Naruto shook his head then dropped the small rock before getting up from the ground. He might as well just get this over with. "Alright then..."

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Living Room.**

* * *

As soon as Naruto walked through the hall and stepped inside the living room, he spotted Mine, probably waiting for him impatiently on an armchair, tapping with her feet every now and then. In front of her on the table was a wrapped up box that made Naruto seriously re-think what is going to happen to him. _'Here goes nothing.'_ Just as he finished this thought, Mine turned her head to him. She looked surprised for a second to see him here.

"Oh, Naruto you're all right now?" Mine asked as she got up from the chair. This really creeped Naruto out since she rarely calls him by his name, and he almost got used to the_ 'newbie'_ and_ 'housemaid'_ nicknames.

"Yeah, more or less. I can move around freely without re-opening my wounds, but training is prohibited." He moved his arms up and down to show he is fine.

"Then there is no problem. Here!" Mine said as she pointed to the box on the table with a smile on her face... or was that a grin, he couldn't tell. "This is for you. I heard that your coat is now more than just worn out. When I went shopping to the Capital, they let me choose one dress for free. Be grateful."

Have the world flipped upside down? Mine, who clearly dislike Naruto just brought him a gift. A lot of words were flying inside his mind, so he decided to say those what first appeared in his head. "Mine... could it be that you've gone mad?"

***Kick!***

"Gahah!"

Upon hearing those words, Mine immediately kicked one of Naruto's knees. The young Uzumaki began to jump on one leg while holding his knee in pain. Okay, he was kind of an ass for saying that, but he first thought that this was just a simple joke like there is nothing in the box... or worse.

"How rude! I actually gave you a gift and this is the first thing you can say?!"

***Kick!***

"Gaaah!" Strike 2. Now Naruto switched legs and was now holding his other knee with a nice big and red lump. "Okay, I'm sorry! Just stop it, stop it!" Mine calmed down and crossed her arms but a tick mark on her face was still visible. "Sheeesh..." For him to get a present from Mine. Maybe she is trying to say sorry for all those insults and cold responses with this? It's not impossible. "This took me by surprise, but now I've changed my tune about you." He walked up to the box and opened it. "Let's let bygones be bygo- WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Hihi. So, what do you think? Cute isn't it?"

Raising his supposed new dress close to his face, Naruto paled. Cute, sure. But Mine forgot something. "What am I supposed to do with a maid costume?!" He screamed. "You want the Prime Minister to laugh himself to death? Because I'm sure he will if I wear this!" He was right about this being just a joke. And he almost believed her.

"Why? It would certainly make cleaning more interesting." She replied.

"I'm not gonna wear it!" He crossed his arms and made an _'X'_ like symbol. "I rather dig tunnels with bare hands than show up in something like this!"

"Oh, how shallow of you. I thought you could take a joke."

And with that, the conversation took a 180 degree turn and everyone forgot about the maid outfit. They argued about almost everything and anyone would have been glad that the room was still intact. Was this how Tatsumi felt most of the time? The door suddenly opened and someone stepped inside the room, clearly amazed at the scene.

"Hahaha. Looks like the siblings are having a fight again." It was Bulat. Seems like he finished his mission.

"I'm not his sister!"  
"I'm not her brother!"

Both yelled while pointing at the other with an accusing finger at the same time. Naruto had no idea why Bulat just said that. "Now, now. Let's go you two, lunch is ready."

* * *

**Several Days Later.**  
**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**

* * *

Days gone by quickly after that day. Naruto learned some new and interesting things from Najenda like informations and other useful piece of advices to think faster and make a plan in a matter of seconds, and he also learned some weird and creepy stuff from Lubbock like how to persuade, trick or even deceive someone if the situation calls for it. He doesn't want the imperials to find out about his identity of course, but it won't hurt if he is good with words, though tricking someone would be a last resort.

Something must have come up, since he is currently standing in the meeting room next to the others but a certain event from a few days ago still bothered him. He placed his palm on his face as he sighed. He still couldn't beleive it. _'How did the maid costume land in my room?'_

"Naruto, your wounds are pretty much healed, right?" Najenda called out to him. Naruto quickly removed his hand from his face and moved his shoulder. Not feeling the pain anymore, he nodded. He felt a bit jealous when he saw Tatsumi train with Bulat, but now he too can do his best to improve.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"The Teigu we took from Zank... I want you or Tatsumi to try using it." Najenda said as she pulled out the eye from one of her pockets. Seeing the Teigu again, Naruto felt his anger rise greatly. He might have liked the Teigu, but after it's previous user, he developed quite the hatred for that piece of an extra eye.

"I'll pass." Naruto shook his head. "It's all yours, Tatsumi." The brown-haired young man smiled as he stepped forward to get his possibly first Teigu.

"Really?! No one else wants it?" Tatsumi sure was excited.

"It's one Teigu per person..." Bulat stated as he gave the young man a thumbs up.

"Because it takes considerable mental and physical strength to control them." And Lubbock finished. So no matter how strong a person is, their mind can only take one of the many Teigus. That's both good... and also bad.

_'It may not look very cool, but this eye...'_ Tatsumi thought as he placed Spectator on his forehead. _'Has some pretty cool abilities if what Naruto said is true...'_

"There was nothing about it in the book. But it's a Teigu after all, so I'm curious to see what it does with my own eye..." Najenda said. Naruto did report about the Teigu's abilities, but it's better see them first-hand.

"It has the ability to read minds, right?" Akame stepped closer to Tatsumi. "Try reading me." She said as Tatsumi focused his attention on her. He looked up to the ceiling while concentrating on the eye on his forehead before saying...

"You... Want to eat meat tonight" He said as the others sweatdropped.

_'Even I can do that but without a Teigu...'_ Naruto thought, releasing a deep breath. _'But there is no way that Akame was thinking about meat in a situation like-'_

"Exactly, amazing!" She actually looked surprised and amazed.

_'What the-?!'_ The blond screamed inside his head. But now that they are speaking about Teigus, he might as well ask some questions. He leaned closer to Lubbock. "Hey, Lubba. Is there a Teigu that can cut through anything besides Sheele's? Or one that is indestructible?" The bookshop owner stayed silent for a second before he could answer.

"Hmmm. Most of the blade type Teigus are sharp enough to cut through normal weapons. For example, the Double-Bladed Axe: Belvaac contains a tremendous amount of offensive power but it can only be fully unleashed if the user is capable to handle it's power. There might be a Teigu similiar to Extasy, we just need to find it. And as far as I know, all types of Teigu can be destroyed." Lubbock answered. "You want a Teigu with an ability like that?"

At his question, anime tears started to roll down on Naruto's cheeks. "My weapons are keep breaking in the middle of the battle so I need something with an abnormal durability." He lost his two knives and one shortsword in his fight against Zank, and that was his first battle against a Teigu user.

"WHAT?!" After hearing Tatsumi yelling, the two turned back to the others. "Wha-Wha-Wha-What?!" Tatsumi dropped down to the ground and started to crawl backwards with a huge blush on his face. Mine was currently leaning down to him, asking if he is alright.

Naruto blinked a few time. "Huh? Why is he blushing?"

"AAAH! I see now! It's sooo obvious for an eye-like Teigu to have an ability like that!" Lubbock was on the verge of crying from the frustration as he held his head with both hands.

"Enlighten me please?"

"I bet he can see through their clothes! It's not fair, I'm jealous!" He pouted.

The smallest hint of a blush appeared on Naruto's face as he imagine seeing a certain someone without her clothes... but he quickly regained his composure.

***Shyuuu***

Then all of a sudden, Tatsumi collapsed on the floor, startling the others. Is this what happens when a Teigu rejects it's user? Naruto heared it already before but this is the first time he sees it. "Tatsumi, take it off!" He said loudly as his friend was having a hard time staying awake.

"It's rejecting him!" Akame said from the side as she quickly took the Teigu off from the boy.

"You were thinking about how uncool it looked or something, weren't you?" Mine also joined the conversation. "The user's first impression of the Teigu is important, you know?" First impression, huh? Sadly, no Teigu had caught Naruto's interest so far.

After deciding that the Teigu will be sent to the Revolutionary Army HQ, Akame explained that carrying out assassinations is not just the only thing Night Raid's doing. They are also responsible to collect the lost Teigu as their submission. Even the weakest of them are valuable and can be a deciding factor in the upcoming revolution.

"The more we have, the stronger the army becomes or something, right?" Tatsumi said as he got up from the ground.

"Correct. The two of you should read this book of the known Teigu." Najenda then handed Naruto a book what contains the known Teigus.

"It's like the one about the Shingus..." He flipped through the pages quickly before handing the book to Tatsumi. He is going to have enough time to read it at night anyway. The blond now knows that it's possible to find a Teigu like Sheele's. But feels like he forgot to ask something... _'Oh, got it.'_ He looked up to his Boss. "Now that we are here, which Teigu is the strongest? Knowing our luck, it's most likely in the enemy's hands."

"Their use and compatibility change. Like you can't use a close-ranged one against a weapon type... But if I had to say..." The air in the room got heavy and cold as Najenda stopped for a moment. "The ice manipulation Teigu is what I think. And you are right about it's whereabout. Though luckily for us, it's user is currently busy conquering the Northern Tribes."

Naruto scratched the back of his head upon knowing that the strongest Teigu was out for some time. Lubbock said the even with it's user, it'll take at least a year or two to take the north. As nice as this sounded, this Teigu is supposed to be the strongest. He had a feeling that Night Raid's peacful times will be more limited than just a year or two.

"Fu. Fufufu." Confusing his blond friend and the others, Tatsumi started to laugh. "The stronger the enemy, the better! We're collecting more and more Teigu after all."

"You're suddenly cheerful, huh? Why is that all of a sudden?" Leone asked. She was suspiciously quiet the whole time.

"Well, the world is filled with Teigu that have unknown abilities, right? The reason I'm so lively is this!" Tatsumi smiled. "Having seen just these abilities... Maybe... just maybe... There may be a Teigu that has the ability to bring dead people back to life! Right?!" He finished.

Unlike the heavy atmosphere a few minutes ago, this time it was filled killing intent and anger. Naruto looked down as he clenched his fists. He wanted to bring back Sayo and Ieyasu, to talk with them again... But something tells him that a miracle like that will never happen.

"You can't." Bulat's strong tone left no place to argue. "A Teigu that can resurrect the dead doesn't exist. In this world, you only get one life."

...

"How... How can you know that?!" It looked like Tatsumi just snapped. "You can't! Not until we've found them! Right, Naruto?" He turned to his blond friend, waiting for Naruto to support him but as soon as he saw him, Tatsumi widened his eyes.

Facing the ground with his right hand squeezing his left arm was Naruto. His eyes were forcefully closed and he grit his teeth. He honestly didn't know what to say._ 'As much as I want to say I want them back, I can't...'_ What was he supposed to do?

"Don't hang your hopes on that." Akame said to Tatsumi, who too got depressed upon seeing his friend like that. "If you do, an enemy will use that weakness of mind against you. And you... will be killed."

...

"All right. That's all for now." Najenda finished, ending the meeting. Soon, all of the members walked up to their own room in silence, probably thinking about the people they've lost and that there is no way to see them again.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Hallway.**  
**Midnight.**

* * *

Light footsteps echoed through the hall as a person walked towards the front door slowly. She wanted to help him in a time like this. He was hurting in the inside, so she can at least ease the pain even by a little bit. It was dark, so she could hardly see anything.

"Going out to Tatsumi?"

A sudden voice startled the young woman as she looked to her right, seeing Naruto sitting on a chair, looking in her direction but not directly at her.

"Naruto?"

"I want to see them too, Sheele." Naruto said as she changed his gaze and was now looking directly into Sheele's eyes. "I will never forgive those who killed them... but... I don't want them to see me like this." His voice was full of regret while he said those words.

"Eh?"

Naruto looked to a nearby window and up to the dark, star-filled sky. "We wanted to find a decent, legal job to earn money and help our small, poor village. Nobody thought that the two of us will turn out as assassins. Even if we kill for the people, that doesn't change the fact the we take lives. We enjoyed our everyday life filled with laughter and happines without a single care until we decided to move to the Capital. That's why I don't want them to see me and Tatsumi like this. I'm sure that they would have understood our situation, but still..."

"..." Sheele stayed silent.

"I just know that they are up there, watching me right now and yelling that why am I saying such a thing... But this is who I am." A small smiled appeared on his face.

"That's why you didn't want to say anything to Tatsumi before..." It wasn't a question. Sheele understood why Naruto didn't want to talk to Tatsumi after the meeting.

"Yeah... I think I'll just make him angry. I first joined Night Raid in hopes I can help so othes won't experience the same thing I had to go through." That made the young woman confused. First? That means Naruto found another reason to help Night Raid. "Now I also need to find her..." He muttered, raising another question mark above Sheele's head.

After a moment of silence.

"You are really kind, Naruto." She said, surprising the blond. "You're still out here, watching over him... even from the distance."

That made him smile. "Maybe, but you're the one who decided to speak with him. You really are the kindest one of us all." Sheele blushed a little as Naruto stood up from the chair and turned around, waving with one of his hand. "I leave Tatsumi to you, Sheele." And with that, he walked through the hallway and up the stairs but not before waiting for the sound of the front door. Naruto smiled as he entered his room.

* * *

**Next Day.**  
**Capital.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

Finally, now that he is more or less completely recovered, Naruto can now go on missions like everybody else. Just as Leone said a couple days earlier, she teamed up with Naruto to take out the drug smugling ring leaders in one of the Capital's districts. But before that, there was still one more thing to do. Since Mine's joke won't cut it, Naruto needed a new set of clothes to do his missions and carry out assassinations. And now he was at a shop along with Leone to choose his outfit.

***Zsssssh***

The curtains got pushed to the side as a young man stepped out of the changing room.

"So... How do I look?"

Asked Naruto as he walked up to Leone in his new outfit. He now wears a long black high collar jacket to help him stay hidden at night with red clothing underneath and black combat boots. His shortsword was also present on the left side of his hip.

"Hoo? Not bad, you look good!" Leone gave him a thumbs up followed by a wink.

"R-Really?! Oh... Umm... Well, thanks..." Naruto mutterred and blushed as he scrached the back of his head, looking the other way. What's with him these days? It was just a simple compliment, it's not like he dresses to impress or just wants to hear compliments... He unintentionally let his guard down and let Leone sneak up next to him, dangerously close to his right ear.

"But your appearance alone won't be enough to make me fall for you." She whispered. Naruto's body twitched slightly as he felt her breath brushing his ear. Her tone was daring and... sexy.?

"L-Let's just pay for the clothes and complete the mission." Naruto said as he slowly bt steadily moved to the cashier.

The two soon exited from the shop and made their way to the slums where they first need to find then observe their targets. Naruto couldn't help but notice that the slum they are walking through is a lot livelier than the others. Almost everyone knows Leone and waves their hands or just simply calls out to her. But the most significant difference was their expression. None of them were depressed or sad, everyone was happy with a bright smile on each of their face.

"You are really popular around here. Nearly everyone knows you." He said it out loud.

"Souls as strong as weeds. It's what happens when you struggle to survive all your life." Leone answered but Naruto quickly caught the hidden meaning behind her words.

"That means..."

"Yes. I was borned and raised here. I made a name for myself working at a local massage parlor."

"Massage?" That one took him by surprised. He imagined something else, but it's not like working at a massage parlor did not suit her.

"There she is!" A yell came from behind them. "It's Leone!" Then it got louder. Looking behind him, Naruto spotted three angry looking man running towards Leone at high speed.

"I'll have you pay your drinking bill!"  
"It's time to settle your gambling debts!"  
"I want the money you scammed off my brother!"

The three man yelled, getting closer and closer. Naruto sweatdropped. Of course, she tricked him and... well, she just tricked Tatsumi since he was in the toilet, but she did stole their money when they first met. A stoic expression appeared on Naruto's face as he turned to Leone. "Looks like you're kinda busy. Don't worry about me, I'll do my best and work twice as hard in your place-"

"You're coming too!" She did not let him finish as she grabbed him and dashed forward.

"EEEH?" After gaining enough speed, she let him go. Since the men saw him running away with Leone they immediately assumed that he has a hand in their situation, so Naruto had no other choice but to run also. _'Just great...'_ He dashed from left to right in order to avoid the obstacles on the street before seeing a big crowd. _'A crowd, that's it!'_ He ran inside it in hopes to get away from his... or more likely Leone's pursuers.

After hiding for a minute or two, it was safe to say that they were gone now. Now he can continue the-

***Pump***

But someone bumped into him. "Ah, I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!" A young boy begged for forgiveness as he shut his eyes close and prepeared himself for a possible slap or punch.

Naruto on the other hand was shocked about what he saw. The kid looked like he came from a poor environment if he had to guess from his appearance and he must have thought that Naruto is a noble or something from his new clothes. "Don't worry about it." He smiled at the kid who still shook in fear before taking a few steps back.

However, before Naruto could look away, he saw something familiar in the kid's hands. A toad shaped wallet.

_'Wait...'_ The funny looking toad wallet what he bought a few weeks ago was stolen from him by the boy. So all of this was a set up? So much for being an assassin... To get robbed in the middle of the day. "Hey, give that back!" Calling out to him was a bad idea as the kid started running and then soon disappeared in the crowd.

He sped up and ran after him but the people got in his way._ 'Ah, come on!'_ He looked around and made a plan to go up to the rooftops. He ran to a nearby house and did three perfectly executed jumps as he landed up top. It was slightly easier than last time._ 'There he is!'_ He followed him from there.

A couple minutes later, the boy looked around and soon entered a nearby house what's windows were all boarded up. Meanwhile, the blond waited up on the house in front of it before jumping down to the ground. "Alright, I don't know about you kid but those who steal in such a young age will end up doing far worse in the future." He arrived in front of the door and went to grab it's handle. Surprisingly, it was left unlocked.

"Mom, Mom! Look!" Just before Naruto could open the door, the young boy's voice came from the inside. The blond got paralyzed in his place. "Look, Mom! We have enough money to buy that medicine for you!"

"..."

Silence.

"Mom! Can you hear me? We can finally buy that medicine!" The boy's voice sounded louder and was filled with worry.

***Sniff* *Sniff*** "O-Onii-chan... Why is Mom's eyes closed?"

Another, much younger person was also present in the house...

"M-Mom! Wake up! Mom... MOMMY!"

Outside, Naruto listened with his head lowered and his teeth grit to the point that it was loud enough to be heard.

The person... their mother is most likely...

_'HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT BACK NOW?!'_ He ran away without saying a word...

...

* * *

**One Hour Later.**  
**Capital.**  
**Around Noon.**

* * *

Wondering around the streets, Naruto was completely lost. He was still under the effects of what happened an hour ago, so he could care less of his whereabout. But still, Leone is missing and they have a job to complete. Wait, they do have a meeting point near a bar... but where is that bar?_ 'Great, I'm totally lost...'_

"Oh my." A feminine voice came from behind him. "My justice sensor is acting up! You there! Can I help you with something?" A seemingly cheerful young woman with auburn hair and amber eyes walked up to him along with a... with a... dog? She wore her hair in a long ponytail and was in a military uniform with an upper-body armor.

"Ah... Ummm... Hello?" That was awkward but Naruto never thought that someone would just walk up to him and ask if she can help him with something. Also, that uniform looked strangely familiar to him.

"I am Seryu of the Capital Guard Forces. A warrior of justice!" She introduced herself with a salute. What a strange girl but she looked kind.

_'Oh... Imperial Guard...'_ Now Naruto knew why the uniform looked familiar. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Seryu. I'm Naruto from-" He immediately cut himself off as he nearly said he was from a group of assassins. He got so caught up in what happened not too long ago that he already told her his real name. While it's okay to tell someone your name, she is still a soldier of the Empire. A question mark appeared above the girl's head as she waited for Naruto to continue. "I-I'm from a small village..." Nice, that wasn't suspicious at all...

"Kyuuun~!" The... dog made a weird sound, possibly it also greeted him.

"Are you hungry, Koro-chan? Just hang in there a little longer, okay?" Seryu patted the dog... ummm, Koro.

"What is that...?" Naruto pointed to it as the young woman picked Koro up and held him in her arms.

"The Teigu "Hecatonchires". But please don't be worried. He's harmless to all except for those who embrace evil." Naruto's expression turned serious. So that is the deadly biological Teigu that was written about in that book what Najenda gave him and Tatsumi. "What seems to be the problem?"

Is it really a good idea to talk to the enemy? She seems nice enough, so he might just ask where the bar is and be done with it.

"Ummm, you see... I'm kind of lost. I know the location where I'm supposed to meet with my friend, but things happened and..."

"Say no more!" Whoa... The girl just got serious and determined to help him. "I'll show you the way while I continue my patrol." She grabbed his hand and started to guide him to the bar after he told her it's name. On their way to Naruto's destination, she also told him a little about her Teigu. Currently, she is the only one who has such a Teigu in her possession.

"By the way, Naruto. You looked surprised when I said that I belong to the Imperial Guard. Are you interested in it perhaps?" Seryu asked as the young man in question started to sweat, thinking that he said something suspicious before. However, she just looked simply curious, so he might as well answer truthfully without revealing anything.

"I guess. When I first came to the Capital, me and my friend immediately tried to become a soldier to gain money and help our precious people. We were also got attacked by bandits, so I wanted to do something about that." She looked surprised for a second before smiling and taking Naruto's hand.

"Oh! So you wanted to fight against the evildoers?" She looked

"Well, you can say that. But that was only before I came to the Capital. The one in charge who refused our applications threw us out, saying that there is just too many people wanting to join the military." He nervously pulled his hand back. Before they could continue the conversation, they've arrived at their destination. The bar where Naruto is supposed to meet Leone is right in front of him.

"It looks like we are here. Thank you for your help." Naruto thanked her while scratching the back of his head. The living Teigu beside him kept bothering him. He would be glad if they leave soon... But why is Seryu looking at him with stars in her eyes? He kept staring at him after he told her he planned to get rid of some evil-doers.

"Naruto, don't you want to join the Imperial Guards to help us keep the city free from the evil-doers?" Eh? Naruto paled. Did she just offered him a place in the Imperial Guards out of the blue? Like hell! He can't join the Empire, he is currently fighting against it! He would never join those corrupted officials!

"N-No, I don't really want to jo-" He still needs to play it cool and act like normal. _'Just please leave already!'_ He begged to her inside his head.

"Don't worry. I can see that you are a good person! I'll say a thing or two about you to my superiors!"

"I-I know I said that I tried to join with my friend to become a soldier, but that was a mistake. I don't want to join the Empire anymore!"

"They might even hire you as my partner to protect the Capital from the evil-doers!" But she did not listen and sprinted away, pulling Koro with her.

"HEY!" Naruto shivered._ 'Oh crap! I just made things a houndred times worse!'_ That certainly was weird. She doesn't even know where he lives... Well it doesn't matter. Naruto hopes that he won't meet her anytime soon. _'But still, that Teigu... I was unable to detect it.'_ His Shingu did not show any signs that Koro was a Teigu. Maybe because he is a biological type?

Leaving these thoughts behind, he entered the bar.

* * *

**Several Hours Later.**  
**Red Light District.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

It took them awhile to track down their target, but the two finally narrowed it down to one location where they almost immediately spotted the drug smugglers. The building was heavily guarded and there were also civilians inside. Young women to be precise. All of them suffered and lived poorly in the Capital, so the only thing they could do was to offer their body and somehow live to see another day with the money they've got from the drug smugglers.

"Never thought I would end up in the red light district. Job or not." Naruto said as he stared at the guards near the front door. He and Leone are standing on a nearby building's rooftop, waiting for the perfect chance to sneak inside.

"I was waiting for a different kind of reaction." Leone grinned next to him, getting a shrug of shoulders from Naruto. He was strangely quiet after they regrouped in the bar.

"Not a fan of these places... You can just smell the people's lust in the air." He answered with a serious face, his eyes never leaving the bodyguards figures. "Now! Two just went inside. Our path is clear." He pointed towards a neaby entrance. The people guarding it must have went inside to take a break or to switch their positions with others. Taking a deep breath, he kicked himself off from the rooftops and approached the entrance with Leone following him in her beast form.

As he was about to make his next move, Leone rocketed forward in an incredible speed, making Naruto pale for a second. Jumping down from a rooftop and into the yard, he entered the building without being spotted.

"Phew... Made it. Changing into this form always gets me excited!" Leone said happily as she dusted herself off, making Naruto sweatdrop who arrived a couple seconds later. They sneaked past a few guards before going up to the ceiling. "Over here, look!" They cut open the ceiling in order to get a better view.

But the strong scent of the perfumes almost made him puke. No, it's not just perfume, something else is also in the air. Maybe a hallucinogenic or stupefying fume. Beneath them in the huge room were several women, probably waiting for their next costumers.

"Ohohohooo~ Very nice, very nice!" Two men stepped into the room. Guessing by their appearance, the person with one of the world's biggest grin is their target, followed by his right-hand man. "Hey there girls! If you keep earning money well, I'll make sure to send around some more "medicine", alright girls?"

"Okaaay~!" Every women in the room got excited by the word "medicine" and waved their hands to their boss.

"Boss... Take a look at this one." The right-hand man said as he walked up to a girl who was currently lying on the ground. "Ahhh, damn it. This one's done. She smells like fish. She's broke." The girl was clearly not in her right mind as she pushed herself up and grabbed the man.

"Haaah... I need some of your drugs~" She begged.

"Deal with her and clean up what's left. We'll get a new one to take her place." Said the Boss as he shrugged his shoulder.

***BOOOOM!***

Before his henchman could knock the girl out, a huge part of the ceiling exploded and soon a smokescreen covered the room. The girls, afraid from what happaned quickly left the room, leaving only the two men inside it.

As the smoke vanished...

"Then let us do the cleaning..." A young man called out as he had one of his knees resting on the ground. Beside him, a young woman with lion ears, tail and claws was also present.

"...by sending you to hell."  
"...by sending you to hell."

Naruto and Leone said at the same time, releasing their killing intent on the two.

"G-Guards!" The leader yelled and a handful of bodyguards bursted through the doors from both sides, surrounding the assassins.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he dashed forward with bare hands. Sidestepping the first bodyguard's attack, he quickly grabbed the man's arm and dislocated his wrist in a simple twist, stealing the man's sword. Feeling the danger from both sides, he threw the injured man into one of the incoming blades and blocked another with his stolen weapon. Naruto pushed back the man in front of him and quickly slit his throat after the bodyguard lost his balance.

_'Reading your opponents moves by feeling the stream of air and vibrations produced by breathing and movements.'_ He cleared his mind.

Slashing his way through, Naruto grabbed one hidden knife from a fallen enemy and countered an attack with his stolen sword. A quick counter attack and the blade's tip met with one of the bodyguards chest. Feeling that the weapon got stuck in the man, he released his grip and threw the hidden knife right into the last bodyguard's forehead, killing him instantly.

Only the leader's right-hand man remained.

"W-What?!" The man was taken by surprise as he saw the blond boy's skills. Those cold, emotionless eyes were now focusing on him... only him as the person who they belong are standing still a couple meters from him. He quickly drawn a pistol and aimed it at Naruto, who still did not move an inch. "Don't fuck with me! If you think I'm going down that easily, then you got another-" Naruto's figure moved and he was now a few steps away from the man. "Die!" And he fired.

***Boom!***

But the bullet missed his head. It was almost like Naruto acted on his instincts, he tilted his head to the side and successfully evaded the shot. The man was too surprised to do anything.

"Don't even bother..." Naruto said coldly as he grabbed the handle of his shortsword and cut the man in half in a simple swing.

Behind the man was the drug smuggling leader, who too could only stare at the blond who in response pointed a finger behind the leader emotionlessly. The man turned around quickly only to be grabbed by Leone. She too finished with the other half of the bodyguards.

"Gah... W-What do you want?" He asked hesitantly. "Money, drugs? I'll give you whatever you want if you'll just let me go!" The man desperately begged for his life, but this time, God is nowhere to answer for his pray.

"I don't want either of those things." Leone's voice turned cold. "What I want from you is your life."

"Wh-Who the hell are you guys..."

"We're nobodies!" Leone simply raised her arm and punched the man in the chest, sending him back to the wall and killing him instantly with all of his ribs broken. "Therefore, disposing of society's trash suits us just fine."

The room was a mess. Bodies were lying everywhere and the walls were red from the blood. Only two person were alive in the room and their clothes were miraculously clean... not even a small bloodstain was present. Naruto kneeled down and grabbed the pistol what was previously aimed at his head and stared at it with interest.

"I confiscate this." Who knows, it might come in handy in the future.

Leone on the other side of the room looked at her partner, trying to figure out what caused the sudden change in his personality. It seems like his mind is in a completely different place. She had a guess what happened and what he saw but for now, they need to leave the area before someone else shows up.

They left without saying a word to eachother.

* * *

**Outside the Capital.**  
**Unknown Forest.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

***Tap* *Tap* *Tap***

Naruto walked beside Leone, still thinking about that kid who stole his wallet. He, along with his sibling just lost their mother. He wondered what they are doing now... Are they still crying over her, or already moved forward? No, they are still young, losing a parent is hard to live through even if you're an adult... so losing a mother when you're around 10 years old is...

He grit his teeth in anger. Naruto never knew his parents. He grew up knowing that he doesn't have any anymore, that they're either dead or just left him for some reason. Come to think of it... _'Are those two even have a father?'_

"Naruto!" Leone's sudden call brought the blond back to reality. "You saw what life is like in the slums, didn't you?" Naruto placed his hands inside his jacket's pockets as he lowered his head.

"Is that a regular thing? About what happens in the slums?" He asked.

"Depends on what you think of right now. Robbery, yes. Humiliation, yes. Starvation, yes. People losing their loved one... Yes."

Naruto stopped.

"I understand why this eats you up, but there is nothing you could have done." She looked back to the young man who kept staring at the ground. Leone released a breath. "But it should keep you motivated."

"Huh?" He looked up with wide eyes.

"Our goal is to change the Capital and decrease the number of people who dies in vain from day-to-day. What you just saw today should keep you motivated to reach this goal, not to make you depressed." She placed her hands behind her head. "So keep your head up high."

She is right. Even if Naruto was there, he would have been unable to do anything to those kids. His priority is to change the Capital and he should focus on that one goal alone. Regaining his resolve, he nodded to Leone with confidance. "Thanks!" He smiled, surprising Leone as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. Did he just make her blush? She looked cute when she blushes. But before he could think further, his face was burried into her breast.

"Ah! You're cute when you act like a man!"

"I dhont kno ih I should bhe haffy or sadh abou that..." (I don't know if I should be happy or sad about that...) He mumbled incoherently before pulling his head out of her grip. "One day, you're going to suffocate me... I swear, one of you girls will be the death of my poor soul." He crossed his arms and looked the other way with a red face.

"Hooo? But why, Naruto?" Leone teased, making Naruto cringe at her tone. "Don't you like Akame? Or maybe you like older women mooore~?" She teased as she mocked a gasp. An accusing finger was pointed at Naruto as she stared at him with an open mouth. "That's it, right? Oh no! Keep away from me you letch!" Leone embraced her body in a form of defense, but the excess wiggling of her body immediately erased the mood she was trying to pull.

"S-Shut up! Let's just go. A lot happened today, and I just want to get back and have a nice 10 hours long sleep." Though of course, he needs to report what happened today. The two then left with a smile on their faces, getting closer and closer to home. "I also feel a bit strange..." Naruto said it out loud enough for Leone to catch it.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. After my fight against Zank, my reaction speed seems to have improved. When that man pointed his gun at me, I was ready to use my Shingu to dodge the bullet, but when I came to my senses I tilted my head and dodged it without a problem. It was strange... but in a good way." He explained. Today was one of a kind, really. Did he really improve that much in a simple fight against a Teigu user? Who knows, at least he is now stronger.

"Then how about we have some fun at the training grounds this week?" Leone offered with a grin.

"You might have been able to beat me without breaking a sweat before when we first met, but I'm quite confident in my skills now." Naruto accepted the offer for the spar.

"Confident, are we?"

He shrugged his shoulders with a smile "You said it, I should be motivated. And now that I am, I need the skills to back it all up so that I can save the people. I know I can't save everyone, therefore all I want to do is to give them hope, even a little bit. It's all thanks to you that I'm here now, so I'll do my best!"

...

"Naruto... I've thought this about you from the beginning but..." Leone leaned closer to Naruto's face and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "When you make that kind of face, you're reaaaly cute~"

"W-Wha..." Blood quickly rushed up to Naruto's face, changing the color of his head to red. He technically froze in his place, unable to say anything from the embarrasment, and unable to move an inch from the shock. Leone patted him on his back, urging him to move forward.

"Fufu... I was literally marking you. If you grow up to be a good man, you're mine. Or maybe you're already grown up?" She started to walk, leaving the still standing Naruto behind.

_'...'_ Deep in thought, the blond quickly fell back into line with Leone. He felt something strange in his chest, but he didn't know what it was. Could it be that he...? _'No, of course not...'_ He dismissed the thought.

"So... I wonder how the others are doing?" She said it out loud.

"Y-You mean Mine and Sheele or Tatsumi and Bulat?" Today was quite important. Almost everyone left to go out on a mission or just simply train. Mine and Sheele got a request to kill a man who is supposed to be the drug smuggling people's leader, a big boss figure named Chibul. Bulat also took Tatsumi into the mountains to train. The man also said that they are going to help a nearby village.

"Both team."

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Living Room.**  
**Around Midnight.**

* * *

"Guaaaah! What a good way to end the day!" Leone exclaimed as she gulped down a whole mug of beer. She is currently sitting on a couch in the living room next to Akame.

"Leone. You're drinking too fast." The red-eyed girl said with a stoic expression.

"It's fine, it's fine." She continued to destroy the alcohol what was present in front of her.

After she and Naruto got back, Naruto went to report their mission to Najenda, who was pleased that there weren't any issues. She also told Naruto that she will call someone to take a look at the women who were highly addicted to that drug what the drug dealers kept giving them. All in all, it was a successful mission. Tatsumi and Bulat also arrived shortly after Naruto's report. The muscular man showed Tatsumi the mountains and taught him how to hunt tree beasts.

The two were sitting at a big table in the middle of the room, watching how Lubbock and Naruto are playing a card game.

"Grrrrr..." The young Uzumaki growled in frustration. Why did his luck decide to leave him now of all times? He won only 3 matches while Lubba won 6. Scratch that, make it 7, this is already a lost cause. "Fine, you win!" He placed his cards on the table as he leaned back in his chair.

"Hehe. Surrendering already?" Lubba grinned.

"Like hell! Today is just not my day that's all." Though he had a feeling that Lubbock has a couple aces and kings up his sleeve. Maybe...

"Well-"

***Zssssh***

Cross Tail signaled that someone just approached their territory. "Hmm? Looks like the others are back too. Wait- Najenda-san!" He yelled out as the silver-haired woman stood up and put on her coat immediately. It seems like she caught the meaning behind his words, though Naruto had no idea what the problem was.

"Everyone, outside!" The atmosphere changed as the people occupying the room left in a hurry.

What could have happened...?

* * *

**Outside.**

* * *

***Shhhh***

Rain poured around the area, making everyone's body shiver as it fell down on them. But nobody noticed, nobody cared. They just stood outside in the rain, watching as the person in front of them broke down in tears, mumbling incoherent words. No, they didn't need to hear those words because the reality was right in front of their eyes.

"Sheele..."

Mine, who stood in front of the group squeezed her broken arm. They have completed their mission, they have successfully eliminated their target, Chibul... but she is alone. Sheele, their comrade and friend has been killed in a fight by a Teigu user when the person ambushed them. Najenda narrowed her eyes, Leone was shocked, Lubbock placed his hand in front of his face to hide his tears, Akame looked heartbroken before she composed herself... even a strong man like Bulat was on the verge of tears. However, as for Naruto and Tatsumi, they just stood in front of Mine with wide eyes.

"Who..." Naruto muttered before stepping forward. "Who did it?!" It wasn't a question, he demanded an answer. With her eyes closed, Mine gathered her strength and told everyone what happened and who killed Sheele. "Her?!" The helpful girl's face appeared in Naruto's head. It saw Seryu who killed Sheele. He didn't understand why a cheerful person like her could do something like this.

...

Then he realized it. Aria, the girl who offered him and Tatsumi shelter and food had the same kind of personality change. And Naruto believed both of them. He was tricked by their cheerful and happy masks to the point that he didn't see their true self. _'I'm such an idiot!'_

"Where is she, Mine?!" It was Tatsumi's turn to question, but before he could do anything Najenda stopped him.

"Wait, what do you intend do, Tatsumi?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?! Revenge!" He yelled.

"Stop. If you go off half-cooked, all you will be doing is increasing the body count."

"Hey! Our friend was killed! Do you think I'm just going to sit here and stay silent?!" Tatsumi snapped. Next to him, Naruto was thinking the same thing. He can't just let Seryu leave after what she had done. He stayed silent when Sayo and Ieyasu were killed... Not this time.

"We've lost Sheele! How can you all just accept it like this?!" Naruto joined.

***Boom!***

Bulat delivered a swift punch to Tatsumi who fell to the ground, and Akame pushed Naruto down, restraining him. "Let me go, Akame!" He tried to get free.

"Stop acting like a child, you two! Compose yourself!" Bulat yelled as he looked at the two. "When did anyone ever say that we couldn't be harmed or killed?! You knew this could happen when both of you agreed to join us!" The two have become silent.

"..."

Akame slowly got up from Naruto's back and let him go. As Tatsumi and Naruto stood up, Najenda reached out with her mechanical arm. "Sheele's death was certainly not pointless. The Empire will now finally understand that it takes a Teigu to fight a Teigu. And now they will bring in more Teigu users to fight for them. But what this means for us is that the chances to collect more Teigu will increase!"

"...Screw them..." Naruto mumbled but despite the heavy rain, the others heard it. "How can a Teigu be more important than a person's life?!" He said, but no one answered. They just looked at him, not saying a word. Naruto lowered his head as the tears finally rolled down on his cheeks. "It's not the Teigu what saves people but the person who uses it... Sheele was much more important than any Teigu..."

...

"And finally..." Najenda focused on the two. "This is the beginning of a life or death struggle, Naruto, Tatsumi!"

Naruto wiped the tears from his face with his jacket's sleeve. This was the point where he finally understood how this world works and how heart-breaking this line of work really is. One simple mistake or a wrong turn can cause your death in a moment. There is already a death flag above everyone's head, it's only a matter of time when Death takes another one of his friends from him.

"Naruto..." Akame's soft voice reached Naruto's ears. He turned around and saw that the others already went inside. He and Akame were the only ones out. "Let's go back."

He sure as hell won't be able to sleep today. "Yeah..."

And so, Death's door opened, and the blond assassin took his first step forward.

**Chapter 5: END.**

* * *

**xXxXxXx**

**In Chapter 6: Kill the Hunters (Part A)**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Akame, I know your sister."**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Tatsumi, let's promise we won't die until we change the Capital!"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Esdeath is back?"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Akame and Lubbock... Tatsumi and Bulat with Naruto as their backup will provide protection for these two!"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Destroying you two will give me great experience!"**

**xXxXxXx**

**Thank you for reading!**

**(I'm not really good at making dramatic scenes, so I apologize if the _'feels' _are not in their place.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**And then all of a sudden, a Wild Update appears!**

**And another.**

**AND another one!  
**

**Hey Everyone! Not really much to say here... so let's just get this out of the way.**

**Chapter 6: Kill the Hunters (Part A)**

* * *

**Mountain Area.**  
**Unknown Forest.**  
**Early Evening.**

* * *

***Tap* *Tap* *Tap***

A blurry figure ran through the dark forest, disturbing the nearby animals peacful life. 10 minutes and the Sun disappears behind the tall mountain, not far from where the figure's final destination is located. The person with sun-kissed blonde hair got closer to the meeting place with every step. His partner is supposed to reach the house from the other side, taking care of the guards and any other troubles they might get in. The speech from his Boss echoed inside his mind.

_**"Listen up! We have two requests. One for today and one for tomorrow. As for the first one, the people inside the Capital informed **__**us about a woman who deceives then backstabs the officials and soldiers who oppose the Prime Minister. She constantly changes **__**her name so it's unknown, but they provided us with a poster about how she looks. The bad news is, she plans to leave the **__**Capital today and she should already be at her vacation house up in the mountains. Today is the only chance for us to take **__**her down before she moves again. We can't let her escape and kill more innocent people when she gets back... Bulat and Naruto! I leave this request **__**to the two of you."**_

"There it is!" Naruto spotted the house not far from him. This is where it get's started._ 'Only two guards?'_ He questioned as he could only see two standing at the front door with their eyes half closed. At least their not expecting any kind of company today. Naruto grabbed the hilt of his short sword and dashed forward without making any sound. After the death of Sheele, killing people from the Empire felt easier than before. He started to accept his role as an assassin and how cruel, heart-breaking this line of work really is.

As Naruto made his way forward, rain clouds strated to gather above him before the Sun disappeared.

* * *

**Vacation House.**  
**Twenty Minutes Later.**

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya! You should have seen his face when he begged for his life! Milady killed him in a quite painful way... BWAHAHAHA!" A half-drunk guard laughed loudly as he brought a bottle of wine to his mouth and gulped down more of the liquid without a care. He looked like he was in the middle of his 30's.

"And I'm telling you, I don't care you drunk ass! Can't you just put down the bottle for one hour?" Another guard with the same Imperial Guard outfit told his companion with disgust. Guarding the front door with him the whole day is starting to get a huge pain in the ass for him, especially now that he is drunk. At least they were standing under the roof and won't have to deal with the rain if someone up there decides that it's time to wash away the whole forest.

"Who cares? Nobody comes around here, so who should I talk to? Olis? No thanks, the big bastard only knows how to smash! Like seriously..." The drunk guard just shrugged with his shoulders.

***Drip***

***Drip***

"Hoo? It's raining already? Drinking outside can be such a pain at times like this." He took a quick sip from his bottle as he complained about the weather.

"God... You're such a pain yourself, you know that?"

"Eeeh~? You wanna go at it?! Because let me tell you this..." The guard puffed out his chest with a grin as he walked out into the rain. With the wine still in his hand, he unsheated his sword from his hip and pointed it to his comrade, who raised an eyebrow in return. "...You will never be able to outclass my skills in-"

***Whooosh!...Splash!***

As the drunk guard was about to swing his weapon, he got stunned as his arm suddenly went numb and dropped down to the ground along with the sword. Both the men stared at the fallen arm in silence before the injured man brought up the now bloody wine with his other hand to his face.

"Hehe..." He laughed. "Must be the wine- GUAH...!" A blade bursted through his back and came out of his chest, instantly killing the man as his blood splattered across the area. The guard's strength left his body as it fell forward, revealing his killer behind him.

Blond hair, long, black high collar jacket with red clothing underneath, brown trousers and combat boots. Uzumaki Naruto has just started his mission with desposing one of the guilty guards who assisted his target in killing countless innocent people just to help the Prime Minister feel safer. Naruto kept his eyes closed as the body in front of him fell to the ground probably to give the dead a little respect. After a second or two, he opened his eyes, revealing his ice-cold blue orbs. It's easier to deliver the killing blow while his mind is cleared, Akame's technique surely helps him to avoid turning insane from the all the killing.

"H...Hu...Huh?" The other guard at the front door stared at the blond with opened mouth. His brain was too slow to process the previous minute and stopped functioning. The person in front of him is just a kid, so how did he even make it this far? There were supposed to be at least twenty other guards inside the forest.

No... could it be that he is not alone?

"Y-You-!" The guard yelled as he reached for his sword on his back but right in this very moment, the blond dashed forward and disappeared in a blue flash.

***Slash!***

A simple slice and the guard's throat opened with blood escaping from it soon after. His legs gave out and his pupils lost its color. How could a kid do all this... he asked himself. Then it hit him. The stories he heard about a certain assassin group filled with deadly and powerful people... "Night... Raid..." That was the last thing he could whisper before everything blacked out and he too fell down.

Facing the now fallen body with his back, Naruto stared at his chest to see that the blue light from his Shingu faded away. _'I need to thank Bulat for taking out those guards in the forest.'_ He placed his hand on the door knob and twisted it, opening the door. He made it inside. _'Why does my chest hurt?'_

Running through the house with his guard up, Naruto kept thinking about his deceased teammate and friend. It's been only a few days since Sheele's death and he haven't changed a bit just like Tatsumi. While Tatsumi was sad, Naruto was quiet and spent less time joking around. Night Raid just lost one of its precious member and the only thing he can do is to move forward just like in this hallway. Time will surely revert him back to his previous persona, but until then...

_'This should be it...'_ In front of a huge window was a decorated door what looked different from the other ones. There were no other guards inside the house and his target most likely haven't heard what happened outside because of the rain. Images started to appear inside Naruto's mind as he remembered how much his life had changed so far. Killing a person was just a bad dream to him a month ago... And here he is, surrounded by death.

Without making a sound, he opened the door and stepped inside the room.

Standing by the window at the other side, watching as the rain falls was a woman with long brown hair. She looks exactly like on the poster what Najenda showed him, only now she is wearing a completely red dress. Taking a closer look, it was clear that the rain is not what she is watching but the body of one of her fallen guards. It was the drunk man who got killed by Naruto a moment ago.

"So, you've come... Night Raid." The woman's voice was calm and collected as she turned around, like she was waiting for Naruto to come without trying to escape. "Just as I expected." The two stared into each other's eyes.

"You're not even trying to escape?" Naruto asked in a monotone tone.

"And you're not even trying to kill me while I'm wide open?" She shot back, making the blond narrow his eyes. The woman before him was indeed beautiful, so no wonder she uses her charms to her advantage while disposing the Prime Minister's unwanted people. "Though it's quite a shock... For such a handsome young man to take the path of the assassins. Is there a reason?" Her voice was filled with kindness and curiosity.

"Two actually..." Naruto answered after a minute of silence. The woman arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue but soon realized that won't happen.

"I see, then let me ask you, boy. What can a young and handsome person like you do against the whole Empire? You might be already dead around this time tomorrow. It's such a waste for a skillful fighter to walk into his death by going against the Prime Minister, don't you think?"

The sounds of thunders echoed through the room as their light shined through the window.

"I've decided. I saw what your Empire does to its people and to my village. I'll get my hands as dirty as I have to, for their sake..." His hair shadowed his eyes as he said these words. "And I'll save them no matter what."

"There are other methods to save your village, you know..." Upon hearing Naruto talk about his village, the young woman immediately understood that his people were in danger because of the taxes, so she came up with an idea. "Those who worked for me had earned quite a lot of money for protecting me while I finished my work. You need money to save your village, right? What do you think... now that I lack any bodyguards, you can be my personal defender!" As those words left her mouth, Naruto raised his head in confusion. "You see, I'm a simple woman. When I see an opporunity what benefits me, I take it. In a way, we are both just assassins, doing our job." A cold breeze went through the room. "The money won't be an issue if you-"

"Save it!" The blond just cut her off with a composed expression. "You misunderstood me when I talked about my village. Of course, I want to help them by earning money, but my main goal is to erase people like you from the Capital." His tone was powerful and full of determination. "And besides, I already got tricked twice... It won't happen again." Naruto raised his shortsword in a reverse grip with a smile. The woman's reason was laughable, he would never betray those who saved his life.

***Sigh***

"Well, there goes my plan to kill you without resorting to too much violence." It was scary how calm the young woman was, she was cornered... So why does she think that-... "Have it your way then, brat. Olis!" She yelled as the ceiling bursted down, sending the wooden plank all across the room.

***Crash!***

"?!" Naruto brought his left hand up to his face to cover it from the flying debris. Something huge just impacted on the ground as it made a powerful shockwave, separating Naruto from the woman. "What the..." So that's why she was so calm.

As the dust died down, a huge man nearly twice the size of Naruto just appeared before him. The bald guy was all muscle and ready to smash the blond.

"Olis, kill him!" The woman shouted from the other side of the room.

In an instant, the big guy tensed up and grinned like a maniac, looking down at Naruto's small figure.

_'Shit!'_ Not taking any chances, Naruto leaped forward and aimed a powerful thrust at his enemy's chest area. The man is unarmed so even if his physical strength is off the charts, he can still be cut in half.

"Olis kills... Olis blocks!" As the blade closed in, Olis grabbed it with his hand and stopped the attack completely. His palm was cut but the injury was minimal. The blond widened his eyes at the strength what the guy just displayed before his shortsword was snatched away from him then thrown into a nearby wall. "Olis pushes tiny man away from boss lady!" Olis grabbed Naruto then proceeded to push him out the door where the blond came in and literally sent him out into the rain through the huge window in the hallway.

"Kuh...!" Naruto used his hand on the ground to slow himself down. He is out in the open without his weapon against a man who is all muscle. Olis destroyed one of the house's walls to quickly go after Naruto._ 'He looks dumb as a brick, but he certainly has the power to back it up.'_ He thought.

As the giant stepped forward, he raised his right arm and threw a punch at Naruto. The blond leaned to the side, avoiding the incoming attack then jumped up and sidekicked his enemy in the head. This action allowed him to catch his breath and form a plan. Even against an enemy like that, he was surprisingly calm.

_'This guy might have been able to scare me in the past, but after all the experiences and training I've been through, I'm completely __calm.'_

Olis shook his head then charged again, now with full strength.

_'Compared to Zank...'_ Naruto's cold eyes stared at the incoming fist before his body reacted and he ducked under it. _'...This guy is nothing!'_ After ducking under Olis's punch, he gathered his strength deliver his own attack. He brought back his right arm then punched the giant straight in the middle of his chest. Naruto is not a powerhouse but he is no longer as weak as he was a month ago.

"Guh..." The giant groan as he got pushed back by Naruto. He was confused as how can such a small man compared to him be able to not just push him back but hurt him with bare hands. "Roaaaaaar!" His anger raised to a whole new level as he roared then lifted both of his arms up, planning to crush his target in one move. "Die!"

Naruto rubbed his right arm as it was slightly swollen after the attack. It took him quite a bit of power to send the big guy back.

_**"Aim for your enemies weakpoints."**_

Naruto kept his composure as he remembered Akame's words. He carefully observed the incoming giant and with the man's hands raised, his lower body was wide open. Naruto swiftly swiped Olis's legs out from under him and made the man trip. He kicked himself off from the ground and leaped up right in front of the falling man's face and delivered a powerful punch. _'One.'_ He thought inside his mind.

_**"Don't take your opponents too lightly!"**_

This time, Bulat's words echoed inside his head. Always make sure that your enemy receives enough damaged to become immobile. After the punch, he supported himself on Olis's body and jumped up again. Whlie still in mid air, Naruto raised his right leg and kicked the falling giant on the side of his head. _'Two.'_

***Thud!***

Olis fell down to the ground, barely conscious.

_**"Always have a back up plan if you fell for one of the enemy's traps."**_

That's right, Najenda always kept telling him that even if he trusts his abilities, they won't always work against the enemy. He lost his weapon at the start of the battle, so he can't effectively kill his opponent. But he came prepeared for that. As his black jacket danced in the air from the wind, several hidden knives on his belt became visible. _'And...'_ He grabbed one and stabbed it into the giant's head. It was sharp enough to easily go through his skull._ '...Three.'_

"Khhh..." One last groan and Olis's life has ended.

"I'm sorry..." Naruto pulled out his knfie as he apologized from his opponent. He must have been following the crazy woman because of some petty reason... He wasn't really that intelligent, so he probably had nothing to do with the whole killing before the woman told him to kill. But then again, that's only what he is thinking... who knows what were his true intentions.

Not wasting any time, Naruto walked back to the house and entered it through the hole that Olis created. The door to the woman's room was open and she was nowhere in sight. Fortunately, his sword was still in the wall. He pulled it out and went back out to the hallway to pursue his target. Images of innocent people getting killed by her started to appear inside his head. He can't let her escape.

Just as he ran outside, he spotted the woman leaving into the forest with several guards following her. _'More guards?!'_ He dashed forward and used his Shingu to get in front of the group. Appearing in a blue flash he readied his weapon and pointed it at the woman. "You're not getting away!"

The woman looked shocked for a moment before she smirked and let her five guards run forward with their own weapons of choice. Two spear, one greatsword and two shortsword users. "I'm impressed, but now you have to face with five of my highly trained guards who mastered the Imperial Fist and weapon techniques!" She shouted as the guards attacked at the same time. Their uniform was different and they were wearing a mask to hide their identity.

"Out of my way!" Naruto yelled.

As the first spear user executed his attack, Naruto leaned to the side with a blue blur following his movements. He switched to hold his shortsword in a reverse-grip and cut the man in half. His armor was nothing but worn out leather, so it was easy.

"Finish him!" One of the guards yelled as a sword and another spear closed up, aiming for Naruto's head.

"Kuh!" Using his agility, the blond twisted his body and blocked the incoming sword while carefully avoiding the spear. However, he did not think that another guard would attack at the same time. A sudden kick to his stomach sent him back a couple feet. "Guah..." He placed a hand on his stomach as he fell down to one knee. He did not have enough time to catch his breath before the guy with the greatsword jumped up and aimed a vertical slash at his body. Naruto used his Shingu again to get back from the attack.

He was in a pinch and his target has also turned around to leave the area. Since the greatsword user was the closest to the blond, he went in for the kill, slashing at Naruto with great force. The young Uzumaki also gathered his strength to attack, using his speed to his advantage. But just before their weapons could collide, the greatsword user got hit in his chest hard enough to hear his ribs break apart. The guy got sent back to a nearby tree, where his body slumped down to the ground, dead.

First, all the reamaining three guards thought that it was Naruto who killed him, but soon a person wearing an armor appeared before their eyes with a red spear in his hands. This made Naruto smile in relief.

"Thanks for the save, Bulat. Though I could have taken him down myself." Naruto said playfully. It seems like he finished his part and successfully took out all of the other guards inside the forest. That means that those three in front of them are the last ones.

"Don't give in to anger and do things quickly when your target is about to escape." Bulat said inside the armor without looking back.

In an instant, the guards dashed forward and attacked at the same time using their full strength. One spear coming from left, one sword from the right and another one from in front of him. Bulat swirled his spear and brought it back behind his head to prepare his attack. "Bula-" Naruto tried to shout but it was too late.

***Slash!***

With just one swing of his long spear, Bulat sliced through the guards weapons like they were made of paper and cut all the three bodies in half. Now that his path was clear, he raised his spear again but now with it's point forward and aiming the retreating woman. Bulat released the weapon, throwing it faster than the eye can follow in order to hit the mark. The brown haired woman did not even know what hit her as everything turned black in an instant as the spear met with her back. It was a clean hit.

"...?!" Naruto just stood there like a statue with opened mouth as he witnessed the power of Incursio... No, the power of Bulat. He spent at least twenty minutes to finish off his targets, but Bulat did it in 1 minute. Is this the difference between a person who wields a Teigu and the one who don't?

The armor soon began to chip away from the man as well as the spear what was in the ground. Bulat was soon revealed under the white armor without any kind of damage or even a scratch. _'I first thought that armor-type Teigus have their own flaws and disadvantages... But now, they really are amaizing... You can defeat your enemies without even focusing much on your defense. If only there would be more than just one, I...'_

"Sorry Lady, but you're charm won't be enough to tame the hot blood what flows in my weins." Bulat said as the armor finally disappeared. The mission was a success without reciving any serious damage. This made both him and Naruto glad, since they were extremely careful after what happened to Sheele. Bulat looked back to Naruto who kept his head lowered. The man knew what he was thinking. "Of course, you can always try, Naruto!"

A sudden chill run through Naruto's body as he heard Bulat saying those words. Looking up to the man, he saw imaginary red roses flying around Bulat as he had a smile most people would easily misundertsand for something else. "You just had to say that last part to give me the creeps, don't you?"

"Well you can't blame a man for trying."

"Trying for what exactly?" Naruto sweatdropped as his shoulders slumped.

"Hahaha! I'm just joking. Though it worked, you're back again!"

"Huh?" Naruto slightly widened his eyes. Did Bulat see that the whole Sheele business was still eating him up? When Sayo and Ieyasu died, he was unusually quick to move on. He placed their deaths deep inside his head but when Sheele died, everything just fell down on him again. But he done sulking. He accepted that he will never become the person he wanted to be before he came to the Capital. "Yeah, I'll definietly change the Empire and work twice as hard for Sheele and the others!" Naruto placed his fist on his chest.

"That's the spirit!" Bulat gave him a quick pat on the back. "Now then, let's get out of here and find a place to sleep! It's already dark." Naruto perked his head up to look at the sky. It was not pitch black but 20 or maybe 15 minutes and they won't be able to see anything inside the forest. "We also need to eat something."

* * *

**30 Minutes Later.**  
**Inside a nearby cave.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

It wasn't too hard to find a place to stay for the night, but sleeping in a cave near a forest made the blond uneasy. He hoped that nothing will come out from the dark... Like a bear or a Danger Beast. Bulat told him that he will go out and hunt for something for dinner. As he was alone, he quickly gathered some woods from nearby and ignited a campfire.

His eyes were half closed since he had trouble sleeping the other day, though he still wanted to stay awake until Bulat comes back. Now that he changed his tune about the whole Sheele business, there is one more thing that made him worry.

Naruto sat on a log in front of the fire. The cave was dark even with the provided light. He listened to the firewood's cracking noise while staring at the flames, thinking about the future._ 'I won't be able to defeat a Teigu user as I am now.'_ He survived his encounter with Zank because he underestimated him and his Teigu, Spectator did not give him any physical boost, just the ability to read his mind and see through things mixed with an illusion. If someone with a Teigu like Cross Tail or Incursio will crosse paths with him, he will be defenseless. He has to find a Teigu soon. But what type? He sure as hell won't be able to handle a Teigu like Pumpkin. Pistols are okay but bigger long range weapons would be useless in his hands.

"..." He needs something what easily survives a fight without breaking apart. Since he moves fast, focusing on defense is hard. An armor-type Teigu came into his mind as he remembered Bulat using Incursio._ 'No... I'd like to avoid using a spear and the __Teigu already belongs to Bulat. Maybe another armor-type with a different weapon?'_ Images run wild inside his mind. _'Or what about a sword-type?'_

***Rustle***

A sudden noise came from the bushes outside the cave that made the ideas disappear. Moments later, Bulat stepped inside the cave, carrying a wild boar on his shoulder."Pheeew! Took me a while but I finally got her. Sorry for the wait." Bulat then began to prepare the dinner for the both of them before he saw Naruto's empty eyes. "Naruto, is everything alright?" He asked.

Naruto looked up to the man as a small smile carved up on his face. "Yeah, I'm just tired. I had some trouble sleeping yesterday." He pointed to their soon-to-be dinner. "Need any help with that?"

"No, don't worry about it. Just go to sleep, I'll wake you up when it's done." Bulat told him as the blond nodded, walking back to the wall. He sat down, leaned back and closed his eyes, falling into sleep almost immediately. What kind of nightmare will be this time... He wondered.

...

* * *

**Prison Cell.**  
**1 Day Before The Shingu Surgery.**  
**Dream.**

* * *

Naruto awoke in a cold corridor... Porbably on the ground since it was hard. He was too tired to stand up and it was impossible to open his eyes for some reason. He heard water dripping down from the ceiling. The sounds... This feeling... They were familiar.

"Put that down! You shouldn't eat more than one a day!" A child's voice came out from a prion cell. Naruto did not see anything because it was dark, but he knew that voice belongs to him... To his younger self.

"..." The other person who was with young Naruto stayed silent and only released a sad sigh.

"You won't be a burden to them, even if you don't take those... those things."

"B-...But without them... I won't be strong enough." This voice... Her voice told him that she was fragile.

"You told me that when they took you out, everyone was pleased by your skills. Then that means you just have to keep up and train normally!"

"But what if-"

"No what if! You won't be dead weight! I'll be there too, remember? Whatever this _'Group of Terror'_ they made us to join is, we will show them what we are made of, then we will find your sister. I won't let those weirdos treat you cruelly like they did the first time when we got introduced to them. So only five per day, alright?" Even if his eyes were closed, he just knew that his younger self smiled.

"Six."

"Grrrr... Fine, but only six. And no midnight snacks in secret while I'm around!"

...

* * *

**Cave.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

"H-...Huh?" Naruto felt that something or someone touched his shoulder and began to shake him gently. It was Bulat.

"Dinner is ready, Naruto. You better eat after a long mission."

***Yaaawn***

"Eh? How long..." Naruto muttered as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. This dream... Was it really a dream? He might as well consider it a memory from the past like the other one. He did not understand the full conversation he heard but at least he remembers a bit more about his past.

"You had a good four hours of sleep. It took me a while to cook the dinner and prepare everything." Bulat went back to the now fully cooked wild boar. Naruto saw that Bulat used a stick to hang it above the fire. "But it's done."

"Still sleepy..." The blond got up then went back to sit down on the log. Bulat always had a knife in case for times like this and used it to cut off a big piece of meat from the boar. "No cutlery then..." Naruto was still half asleep but he pulled out one of his still clean hidden knives from his jacket and proceeded to do like his friend.

The two ate in silence, watching the fire like they were hypnotized by it.

"Say, Bulat... How are we going to do this? To change the Empire I mean." Naruto asked out of the blue between two bites. The muscular man looked up in surprise as he stopped eating.

"Well, as you already know, we specialize in assassinations and we also gather Teigus. When the time comes, the Revolutionary Army will storm the Capital and defeat the corrupted Empire once and for all. But the Imperial Army is also just as- or not stronger than them at the moment, so it's up to us to weaken their ranks one by one. Roughly speaking, we take out the problematic enemies behind the scenes."

"That means..."

"Yes, Night Raid will be the key for the success. We will also participate in the battle inside the Capital." Bulat told him.

"Though our names will be forgotten like Sheele's" Naruto said in a sad tone. "Boss told me that we will never be mentioned in the Revolutionary Army's history."

"We are not heroes, Naruto. Fame and glory are one of the many things we have sacrificed by joining Night Raid."

"Yeah..." It was the opposite of what he wanted to achieve. He went to the Capital in hopes to become famous and make enough money with Tatsumi and the others to help their village. "Hehe... Though some of us are quite infamous." Naruto joked around after he devoured the meat. It was strange, he was still hungry. The blond reached out with his knife and cut off another piece of meat. Unknown to him, Bulat gave him a surprised expression.

"Hoo? That is a first. Usually, ramen is the only thing you are willing to eat more than just once for dinner."

"Hmm? Vhreevy?" (Really?) Naruto said with his mouth already full. Maybe that is a sign of him changing... Maybe...

_'Am I changing...?'_

"Anyway, the two of you have changed so much that it's frightening sometimes... You and Tatsumi I mean." Bulat smiled as he stared at the campfire.

"Hm? Changed?"

"I knew that your potential was high, but not this much. The same goes for Tatsumi, I know that he will surpass me in no time."

"I'm just that awesome! Oh, speaking of him, it is clear that he has grown very fond of you."

"Hahaha! Yeah, Tatsumi wants to learn from me as much as he can. He is now really determined to get stronger and complete his training, like you."

"What do you mean? I was always serious about training!" Naruto pouted.

"What about the time when you went out with Akame to collect mushrooms?" The blond tensed up as he heard Bulat's words.

"Tha- That wasn't training at all!"

"Then what if you get lost in a forest without any kind of food?" Bulat asked.

"Then I will hunt for some animals."

"Like when you tried to hunt for some rabbit with a simple trap and you fell asleep after 15 minutes?"

"Guh... Okay, okay!" He took a deep breath as he ran his free hand through his messy blonde hair. "Ouch...!" He accidently pulled out a hair with his fingers. He was reaaally greatful to have his unlucky moments back. "Eh... What?" As he brought his hand in front of his face, he spotted a single white hair between the his natural ones. It wasn't really white... Grey or silver maybe...

...

_'I can't be that old!'_ He threw it down in frustration. Even his own body was against him. "Say, Bulat..." Naruto whispered.

"Hm?"

"What should I do... If... If one of my precious people turns out to be my enemy?" He asked the man as his hair covered his eyes. He didn't know why and where did this question come from.

Bulat gave him a confused expression, but he closed his eyes for a moment. The man decided not to question why Naruto asked such a thing. He did not want to pry the subject. "Was this_ 'friend'_ close to you?"

"Yes... I think." Naruto nodded. He is afraid from the moment when he comes face to face with Kurome, be it on the battlefield or inside the Capital. He forgot to ask Akame about her. Can he save a person he basically has no memory of? And where does this urge to protect her coming from? Bulat's response might help him in finding his answer.

"If I were in your shoes, I would not hesitate to kill that person."

"?!" Naruto raised his head in a hurry. He was surprised by the man's answer.

"When I joined Night Raid, I decided that the mission and my comrades life must come first. That is my answer." Bulat said as Naruto looked at him worriedly. The blond was obviously not expected this. "But..." Bulat smiled. "That was only _**my**_ answer... Yours however, might be different in the end. You just have to find it."

* * *

**One Day Later.**  
**Near Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Midnight.**

* * *

Almost a whole day have passed since then. The two spent the last 15 hours walking back to the hideout and needless to say, Naruto was bored. He didn't even notice how long it was to arrive at their target's house yesterday. He had a few small talks with Bulat but no matter what he did, it was boring to walk back without anything to keep him focused. He complained a few times of course, though not as much like before. They have stopped to eat something around noon, but other than that, all he did was to move one of his leg after the other. No bandits or danger beasts this time.

The Moon gave them enough light to see where they're going.

"Phew, we are almost there." Said Bulat loud enough for Naruto to hear. The blond perked up upon hearing that they are close to their home... Home. It was still a bit weird to call Night Raid his home, but he will get used to it.

"Finally, it's freezing out here." Naruto rubbed his palms together to help the blood circulate in his fingers.

After they woke up in the morning, the temperature suddenly dropped and in the late afternoon, snow started to fall down from the sky, reminding Naruto of his village. He is used to this weather but it would have been wise to bring a warmer outfit, though nobody told him about this.

"It sure is! I completely forgot about that the weather is really tricky in this time of the year." Much to Naruto's annoyance, Bulat looked fine and showed no sign of feeling the cold weather. There goes the years of Naruto living up in the mountains.

The two entered the building without wasting any time to get warmed up. When Naruto wasn't looking, Bulat took a glance towards the kitchen with a surprised look. "Well, I might as well have a shower and get as much sleep as I can. See you, Naruto." The man said as he walked to the end of the hallway and disappeared after taking a right turn.

Naruto just watched him leave with a confused expression as he put his jacket on the coat stand._ 'Strange... If I didn't know him better, I would say that he just ditched me...'_ He sweatdropped.

***Yawn***

"But he is right. It's time to finally sleep in a real bed." Rubbing his eyes, Naruto walked through the hallway then began to walk up the staris before his throat started to feel dry. He turned around and entered the kitchen in hopes to drink some water but right as he walked into the room, he was greeted by one of his friend.

"Huh?" His body stopped functioning for a moment as he spotted Night Raid's red-eyed killer sitting on one of the chairs at the table, staring silently at some midnight snacks next to our blonde protagonist's favorite food, a bowl of now-cold ramen. She had a worried look on her face."A-Akame?" Naruto called out.

"?!" Akame immediately raised her head up as she heard Naruto's voice. "Naruto!" She stood up from the chair and stepped closer to him. "You are back!" She felt relieved as no injuries were present on the blond's body... At least on the visible parts.

"Yeah, we've just arrived. A few scratches here and there, but the request is done without a problem." He smiled. "You haven't heard us talking at the entrance?"

"...I'm glad." She paid no attention to what Naruto said and just gave him a bright smile like when he returned from his first mission. Akame was actually really worried about him after Najenda assigned him to this mission a few days ago. She believed in his skills, but anything can happen no matter how easy a task might look.

Hearing Akame, Naruto blushed for a moment as he saw her smile before he chuckled. "Hehe. Don't worry, Akame. It was just a simple request. There was no way we couldn't have handle it."

Akame didn't say anything. Naruto's smile faded the moment his friend's expression changed. She tilted her head to the side and looked back to the able with a heartbroken look where the midnight snacks were. The young blond's face turned horrified as he recognized they were not just simple midnight snacks... They were his late teammate's favorite food. Naruto clenched his fists._ 'Dammit! How could I be this careless? Those were... Sheele's favorite!'_ He remembered seeing the bespectacled woman eating dango with a book in her hands almost every day in the living room. _'A simple mission my foot! Sheele was also doing an easy request when she and Mine have encountered with Seryu!'_ He cursed inside his head as he realized his poor choice of words. "I-I'm sorry, Akame... I..."

"...Since we work in the shadows..." Akame cut him off. "Sheele's name will never be recorded in the history of the Revolutionary Arny... So I have to remember more things about her than anyone else. She may have done many foolish things, but she was the kindest one of us all." After she finished, none of them could find the words to continue the conversation.

Naruto nodded, agreeing about what Akame said. He needs to change the topic or they will stay in the middle of the room until morning without any progress. _'I might as well ask her **'that'**...'_ His talk with Bulat at the campfire echoed inside his mind. This will be the second time he try to ask her. Naruto took a deep breath before looking up into Akame's red orbs with a serious look. He is taking the gamble.

"This might not be the best time to say this but... Akame, I want to talk about your sister, Kurome."

Akame's chest stopped moving for a second as her body tensed up at the mention of her sister. She didn't say anything for a while, she just stood in front of Naruto with her hair shadowing her face. "What about her?"

"I know her." Naruto said quietly.

"So what?" Akame replied coldly. This was obviously something she doesn't want to talk about. But the blond still continued.

"You already know about the experiments and what they did to me inside the Capital when I was little. I don't know how or why but they used me as a guinea pig. My home was a prison cell... That's where I've met Kurome. I have no memory of that time... and the only scene I remember cleary is when the imperials took me away. I promised her that I will protect Kurome and help her find her big sister... You." Akame remained silent. "Leone told me that she is still alive but... Not on our side. As much as I want to fight the Empire, I'm afraid I won't be able to battle against her. She is living in the Empire's side, taking in all those things her superiors tell her to do. That's why I-"

***Grab!***

Without a word, Akame went up to him and grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt, with her head still facing the ground. "...Want to save her." Naruto knew that the reason why Akame grabbed him was to not let him finish, though he still decided to continue.

"You can't save her..." The red-eyed girl finally answered, quietly whispering inside the dark kitchen as her beautiful, long black hair still covered her face.

Naruto looked up to the ceiling. "Maybe, maybe not."

"You can't save her!" She repeated her previous statement with more force.

"That's still not enough to stop me from trying..." He answered

"Kuh...!" As the blond heard Akame grit her teeth, he looked down to her figure. She was trembling. As the moonlight shined through the window, it illuminated the tears that were rolling down from Akame's cheeks. "Ever since we were little, we played together, ate together, laughed together... However, after I decided to join Night Raid, her heart broke a second time. I did everything to convince her to come with me, but Kurome decided to stay with the Empire. So how..." She raised her head to look right into Naruto's blue eyes. "How can you possibly think that you are able to save her?!" She yelled as tears were flowing down her face what shocked Naruto. "I've betrayed her! What makes you think that you... that you..."

Maybe a sudden force just pushed him, maybe he just did not want to see her like that, but Naruto closed the gap between them and brought the girl into a tight hug without him even realizing it. This isn't the same strong willed and serious Akame he knew. He can't see her like this, he doesn't want to see her like this. Images started to appear inside his head followed by pain that made him bit his lip and close one of his eyes to ease it. "I don't know..." The blond whispered into her ear. "I don't know where this urge to protect her comes from... I couldn't even remember her until I joined Night Raid. But, but..." Something inside his throat made him stop for a moment. "I can never forget the feeling, the terrible nightmares and the déjá vu I've always felt. Now I know why I had them."

Akame blushed at Naruto's sudden move but did not try to get free from his hold. It actually helped her stop the flowing tears. She felt a strange sensation for a second time now but the girl was unable to tell what it was, only that she experienced it before around Naruto. "Kurome is the person I love the most. I don't want her to live in the Empire as it is, that's why she is also the person I wish to kill the most... To save her from this world." She placed her head on Naruto's shoulder. "I don't know if I can ever forget about our future fight... But I would be happy if she were to stay with me..."

Naruto smiled as he let go of Akame and took a step back. "A chance is all I ask for."

The red-eyed girl wiped the tears from her face as she mimicked the same smile Naruto had. "She talked about you. Kurome, I mean. The only thing she did not tell me was your name. After a long time when I've finally had the chance to meet her, Kurome was heartbroken. It took me some time, but she told me that you were killed by imperial soliders. I used that as an excuse later to convice her to come with me to fight against the Prime Minister, but she couldn't betray her new friends."

Hearing that, Naruto placed his hand on his chest and looked at Akame with a serious expression.

"I promise you this, Akame. I'll definitely save Kurome! I won't let you two kill each other!"

Not knowing what to say, the girl simply nodded. She was still not fully convinced to leave her sister to him, but giving him a chance is something she will gladly do.

"Now then, one last question..." Naruto looked back to the table, staring at a certain food. "...About that ramen." The mood immediately got thrown out of the window as Naruto smiled awkwardly.

"Hm? I made that." The surprised girl said, not expecting such a question. "We all thought that you will arrive after dinner so I imagined you will be hungry, but it turns out I made it too early." She puffed her cheeks in frustration while looking stoicly at the ramen.

"Really?" Stars appeared in the blond's eyes. "Then I'll gladly eat it!" Faster than the eye can see, Naruto dashed to one of the kitchen units, pulled out two chopstick and sat down in front of the ramen.

"Should I heat it up? It's been an hour already." Akame offered with concern in her voice.

Naruto just waved that it was fine. "Don't worry, ramen is ramen." He eyed his favorite food._ 'Hehe! As expected of Akame, she really didn't spare the meat.'_ He clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. "Then, ita-"

***Grooooowl***

"Eh?" A strange sound interrupted Naruto as he looked up to Akame. When their eyes met, the girls's cheeks turned red but her face remained emotionless. "...Kuh." The blond brought his hand to his mouth to supress his laugh, but the red-eyed girl still managed to hear it. _'Oh crap, I was trying to hold it in, but my laughter spills out.'_

Her eyes were fixed on him. She realized what Naruto have been trying to supress and glared at him. "Naruto, this isn't funny."

"Kuh... I'm sorry. I was just surprised." He regained his composure as he reached out to one of his pocket and revealed another two chopstick. "I thought that you will be hungry seeing all these meats, so I grabbed another pair of chopstick just in case."

Akame stepped closer and took the chopsticks from Naruto's hand, still confused at what she should do. The grin on his face still bothered her. "What are smiling for...? Is it that funny that I'm hungry?"

"I'm sorry. To be honest, I'm just happy. This is one of those times when I've seen your real personality. I'm glad I can see that you're a girl." He answered.

"Wha...?!" She jumped back, feeling that strange sensation again.

"Let's split the ramen!" He clapped his hands and closed his eyes again. Still confused, Akame slowly stepped closer to Naruto and sat down next to him, copying what he just did._ 'She is not going to get another empty bowl? Well, doesn't matter...'_ He thought, looking at her with one of his eyes half open. "Then, itadakimasu!"

An hour later, Naruto walked up the stairs with confidence and determination. After he finished with the dishes and the shower, he was ready to hit the bed. Though one thing still bothered him._ 'Why did I suddenly hug her?! I'm lucky to be alive.'_ He started to sweat as he remembered hugging Akame. It was certainly a new experience._ 'But it wasn't bad or anything...'_ He thought as his face turned red from the embarrassment.

After he made it to the top of the stairs, he took a right to go to his room when... "Oh, you're here!" Bulat greeted him with a wave. Tatsumi was also present, standing next to the muscular man who patted him on the back. "Tatsumi here needed some help to regain his resolve. We didn't want to interrupt you two, so we stayed up here."

Tatsumi stepped forward.

"Naruto, I decided. I will not die! I will do my best to help make a new country where we can always see everyone's smiling faces." He said with newly found resolve.

The blond look at him with wide eyes for a second before he smirked and nodded. "Damn right! You and me both."

It's time for them to take things seriously.

* * *

**One Day Later.**  
**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Training Grounds.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

"Haaaaa!" A shout filled the air as two wooden sword clashed in the middle of the training grounds. Tatsumi attacked Akame with all his might and power but got pushed back as soon as the two weapons got in contact. No matter how fast Tatsumi may be, Akame's sword technique is many times faster.

Akame raises her bokken and the weapon begins its arcs. The brown haired boy feels despair from its precision and speed. Such an attack will most likely hit him. Fear is the only thing on his mind. The attack cannot be blocked. He risks everything he has on his instinct and swings his weapon. "Ahh...!" But he failed.

***Smack!***

The wooden sword reached its target and Tatsumi got pushed down to the ground, kneeling. "Haaa... Haaa..." With one hand on his weapon and one on the ground, Tatsumi raised his head and pulled himself together. "A-Again, Akame!" He stood up while panting.

Now that he regained his resolve after his talk with Bulat, Tatsumi was fired up to become strong as fast as he can. "Shouldn't you take a short rest, Tatsumi?" Akame asked as she looked at him.

"Why would I want a break? I told you didn't I? Come at me as if this is a real life or death fight!" He gripped his weapon and charged forward. "Let's go!"

However, they weren't the only ones on the training ground. Two other members were also fighting but with bare hands. Not far from Tatsumi and Akame, Naruto tilted his head to the right to evade a powerful punch coming to him from his blonde friend. The young Uzumaki jumped back to avoid Leone's lightning fast axe kick what created a hole in the ground.

"Stop raising your leg that high in that attire!" He yelled as his face was red as a tomato. Leone's regular clothing was quite revealing on certain parts.

"Then focus on my attacks if you don't want to lose our bet~!" With a cute wink what deepened Naruto's blush, Leone dashed forward, aiming a quick punch to the blond's chest.

"Oh crap!" Naruto quickly crossed his arms in an _'X'_ like shape as the punch impacted. Feeling his whole body shake from the attack, he stepped to the side to gain more space.

"Haa!" But Leone kicks off of the ground and runs straight at him.

Narudo no longer had such power in his legs as he lowered his stance, eyes fixed on the next incoming attack, and... "AHHHH!" He swinged his fist full-force at a speed she can't avoid.

***Smack!***

But his fist swings through empty space, and Naruto was the one who got hit. "Guh...?!" The pain quickly ran through his body. _'Wha?! I don't see her!'_ His opponent that charged him disappears from his view in an instant, moves up by his left side and slams her palm into his stomach, then kicks up at his body with her lightning fast legs. "Haa...Guh...!" His vision got blury for a second.

"Here comes another one!" Neither of them are using anything, just their raw power.

Naruto planted his left leg into the ground to avoid falling down. Her attacks are like fire as she strikes again. He gathered his consciousness and faced her. "Not yet!" Instead of jumping back from Leone's punch, he closed in like a spark. He needs to be faster then last time... That's the only thing he have to do.

Naruto avoided Leone's palm strike and his counterattack barely missed her. Until the right time comes, he will protect his body from her attacks. It'll be over if she hit him on the chest or head. Since Naruto can't manage to strike her, he will put everything into fending off her attacks.

"Ho? Not bad." She continues her assault.

Naruto dodged then swinged his right fist but it was repelled. "...Ah!" She comes closer. No. He can't give up now. He can still move even without relying on his Shingu. It's not over yet. Naruto clenched his left fist as hard as he could to the point where the skin on it turned white. The opportunity is right in front of his nose. He pulled back his left arm and delivered the same straight punch.

***Bamm!***

Then both his and her fist met eatch other in the middle, disturbing the air around them. "HAAA!" He took a step forward and prepared to aim another straight punch to Leone's stomach but now with his right fist. Seeing him move, Leone did the same thing and aimed an attack to Naruto's stomach.

***Punch!***

And both hit the mark.

Standing in front of the other with their fist still in the other's stomach, Leone grinned. "Took you long enough to finally hit me. That was a good punch." She said in a playful tone.

"Hehe... Now I think I'm a sorry excuse of a man for hitting a girl." He grinned back. "But still..." Feeling his vision to white out, he retracted his fist from her stomach and got down on one knee. "...That was one hell of a punch."

He waited a couple seconds for the pain to go away, but as he looked up, he saw Leone reaching out to him, waiting for him to grab her hand. "Yours too!" Leone replied as she helped Naruto up. "Round 2?"

"I'm already thinking about Round 3." Naruto readied himself. "Let's go!"

Meanwhile not far from the training ground sat a green-haired boy, observing Tatsumi and Naruto. "Maaan, those two are really fired up. Makes me want to train also." Lubbock exlaimed as he scratched the back of his head. He was currently sitting on the ground where the grass was still present.

"They are just getting beaten to the ground. How can those two get fired up from that is beyond me..." Mine appeared next to him. Her hand was still in a sling.

"Don't you think that you're a little bit too harsh?" Lubbock asked with a sweatdrop rolling down his face.

"Hmph..." She turned her head to the right and left.

"Whoa, she really dislikes them..." Lubbock then shifted his gaze back to the training grounds, only to see that Bulat is talking to Tatsumi who looked really excited. A moment later both of them left the training ground and went out into the forest. "I wonder what takes Najenda-san so long..." He said it out loud as he remembered seeing her off in the early morning. His train of thought got interrupted as he saw Naruto's arse got kicked by Leone, sending him flying to the other side of the training ground. "Oh, there he goes again..."

* * *

**14 Hours Later.**  
**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Meeting Room.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

"Everyone is here. I have three pieces of bad news to relay... Listen carefully."

It was _that_ time of the week. Naruto and Bulat just came back from a mission yesterday and now they have to pick up their weapons again. Just as Najenda said a week ago, this is the point when the life or death battles will start. From now on, things will be much more difficult.

All the other seven members beside Najenda have arrived and were waiting for her orders, but Mine will most likely won't participate this time because her arm is still broken. That leaves only six members to operate._ 'Three bad news...'_ Thought Naruto as he stood between Tatsumi and Lubbock.

"First. I can no longer get in contact with the local team." Najenda announced before Bulat and Akame immediately raised their head in worry.

"Local team?" Tatsumi asked.

"The empire is vast. We spicialize in carrying out assassinations in the Capital, but there is another team that handles the areas around it." Akame explained.

"That means... All of this local team's members were killed?" Naruto joined the conversation. A picture with a similar team like Night Raid came into his mind then burned to ashes as he imagined them getting killed one after another by the Empire.

"It's currently under investigation, but the likelihood that they are dead is high. Be prepared for that..." Najenda sighed as she closed her eye for a moment. "For the time being, I think it may be necessary to strengthen security around the hideout." She directed this to Lubbock, who agreed that he should increase the range of his threads.

"Secondly. Esdeath has finished subjugationg the north and she has returned to the Capital." That piece of information got everyone's attention.

"Possibly the strongest person in the whole Empire..." Naruto whispered with wide eyes. If this were a chess game, then the Prime Minister or the Emperor would be the king obviously, this Esdeath woman the queen and people like Seryu the other important figures, and the soldiers are the pawns. Liberating the Capital can only be done if they defeat Esdeath. The blond wondered what kind of person could she really be.

"Leone. I want you to go to the Capital and observe her movements."

"Roger!" Leone grinned. "I've always wanted to know what type of person she is after all." Guess she and Naruto were thinking the same thing.

"She's a homicidal maniac who enjoys slaughter, so be on your guard." Najenda told her. "And finally. There is a serial killer case targeting civil officials happening in the Capital. The victims so far have been 4 officials and 61 bodyguards." She reached down and pulled out a poster with the Night Raid's symbol. "The problem is these posters claiming to be from Night Raid have been found at all the crime scenes."

_'Posters?'_ Naruto wondered why the killers framed Night Raid for this. They are pretty infamous as it is. As the others continued the conversation, the blond listened to them carefully. All of this Fake Night Raid group's targets were officials who wanted to do nothing with the Prime Minister. In other words, he is getting rid of his enemies and blames everything on them.

"Good people like these civil officials were will be essential in creating our new country. We cannot afford to lose any more of these talented people! I fell we should head out and crush this group of fakes! I would like to hear your opinion on this!" All of the members then looked at Tatsumi and Naruto, waiting for their response.

"I... Don't really understand things like politics, but..." Tatsumi was the one who decided to speak first. "Using Night Raid's name just to commit these gorribly evil crimes just makes me sick!" He finished.

Soon, everyone then looked at Naruto.

"I don't like it when people kill each other just to solve their problems and to make themselves feel more comfortable... Especially if that person is the Prime Minister. I know I'm still green here, and have little knowledge about being an assassin... But I'm sick of this Empire and how they deal with their problems. I'd say we show them how the real Night Raid does the job."

Bulat smirked. "Excatly! The two of you are right!"

"Okay, it's decided then." Najenda got up from her chair and swung the coat over her shoulder. "Let's go teach them the law of the assassin!" The air turned heavy in the room. "There are five officials who we suspect are being targeted. Of those five, only a few have plans to leave the Capital soon. We have narrowed it down to two officials...

"Akame and Lubbock... Tatsumi and Bulat with Naruto as their backup will provide protection for these two!"

_'I'm with Bulat again.'_ A smile formed on Naruto's face. He knew that Najenda will place him and Tatsumi in the same team since neither of them have a Teigu and three people with one Teigu can compensate two person with two Teigu. If Naruto's Shingu counts, of course.

"Uhm... Question." Tatsumi raised his hand. "Where does the official we need to protect plan to go?" He asked.

"The outskirts of the Capital. He plans to board the ship anchored at the start of the grand canal. The massive luxury liner... The Ryuusen! If none of you have any other questions, then I advise you to go to sleep. Tomorrow will be tough, and one team will certainly fight against a group of Teigu users for sure."

...

* * *

**Two Hours Later.**  
**Naruto's Room.**

* * *

***Snoore***

_'Tomorrow I have to face another Teigu user...'_ Naruto thought as he lay in his bed, face forward to the ceiling._ 'I just hope that my opponent won't the faster than me, and I can return safely along with everyone else.'_

***Snoore***

_'They are strong... Don't falter now!'_ He said to himself. _'I need to get as much energy as I can...'_

***Snoore***

_'But how am I supposed to sleep like this?!'_ The reason why he screamed such a thing inside his mind was because of his companion in the bed. No matter how many times he tried to protest and say that it was just a bet, she insisted and literally forced him to obey. Hugging his left arm with no way to free it, Leone was currently sleeping next to Naruto, who was too nervous to shut his eyes. Her cute snore did not help his situation at all._ 'Stupid bet!'_ He resisted the urge to look to his left, because every time he tried to do so, it resulted in his nose becoming a fountain... With the only difference that it was blood and not water what came out of it.

Leone was only in her undergarments and was sleeping like a baby. She also said to Naruto that sleeping like this will help him on his mission tomorrow... No idea how. _'I've always lept alone in my entire life... So I'm nervous as hell!'_ He continued to shout inside his head. _'Sayo-chan would gut me for sure! And I'm afraid I would make Lubba mentally insane if I tell him this.'_

***Squeeze***

_'Gaaah!'_

* * *

**Next Day.**  
**At the Start of the Grand Canal.**  
**Noon.**

* * *

"Hm? What's up, Naruto? You look red, are you alright?" Bulat asked next to Naruto while wearing Incursio and using its invisibility.

"Uhmmm... I-I'm fine, yeah, I'm fine..."

The three finally made it to the Grand Canal in time as the Ryuusen has just arrived, lowering its incredible huge ramp to let the people on board. The plan was simple for the assassins, get on board without alrerting the enemy or anyone else, change their clothes to blend in with the crowd and pretend to be a wealthy young man who got invited to the party. While keeping an eye on the person they're supposed to protect of course. Though there is one thing what can be problematic later on... They are unarmed. Neither Tatsumi nor Naruto had the luxury to bring their weapons to a party since they are not bodyguards. Although the blond did manage to hide a hidden knife or two along with his _'Trump Card'_.

The two really wanted to focus on their mission, but a little something in front of their faces distracted them.

"Hu...HUUUUGE!"  
"Hu...HUUUUGE!" Both Naruto and Tatsumi shouted as the massive luxury liner appeared before them.

"Don't doze off now. We need to get on board." Bulat slightly pushed the two forward to the ramp.

_'Damn... How are we supposed to find our official? This ship is huge.'_ Naruto began to walk forward, wondering if the impostors will decide to attack here. _'Hmmm?'_ Then a sudden blue light urged him to look down to his chest area what made him stop in his place. His Shingu is reacting to something.

_'Don't tell me that...!'_ He turned his head to the right where he felt the unusual presence coming from but all he could see was the crowd, filled with normal people.

"What are you waiting for, Naruto? We need to change our clothes." Tatsumi looked back to his frozen friend.

Hearing Tatsumi, Naruto shook his head. "Ah, sorry. Coming!" He continued to walk up the ramp._ 'Must be my imagination...'_ He hoped.

Oh, how wrong he was...

**Chapter 6: END.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Chapter 7: Kill the Hunters (Part B)**

* * *

**Great Canal.**  
**Ryuusen.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

The Great Canal. 2500Km in length. Over one million people were mobilized by the Empire for its construction. They finished it in the relatively short span of seven years. The large burden placed upon the people caused the discontent within the Empire to increase. However, in the long run, it has certainly been used for the people as an artery to ship goods from place to place quickly. Those powerful people of the Empire who cared about its nation poured all their power into its completion.

And now, aboard the Ryuusen, the massive luxury liner what is currently sailing through the Great Canal were three assassins, ready to carry out their mission. Be it the protection of their target, or the killing of their possible imperial enemies.

"Argh... Why am I in this monkey suit?" Naruto complained as looked at his tuxedo with a scowl on his face. He can barely move in it, and now that he is technically unarmed, he has every right to be nervous. The blond fixed his tie before looking around and making his way through the crowd to find his partner. "Wow... It's really fancy! Half of those golden cutleries on the table worth more than our entire village!"

Luxury is something Naruto never experienced, so all of these expensive clothes on the people and all of these shiny things everywhere made him feel like he is in a completely different world. Back in his village, all he saw was wooden objects without an end.

"I wonder how it feels like to be an emperor or a general." He escaped from the noisy crowd with a glass of wine in his hand what someone, possibly a butler pressed upon him. He is currently impersonating someone else, a wealthy young man if he remembers correctly so he didn't want to refuse the red liquid. _'Better get this over with as fast as possible so I can get out of this getup.'_ He thought as he dashed out to the deck in his white suit and black shirt, decorated with a red tie. "Yup, there he is."

Staring at the ocean with a bored look was Tatsumi, who looked like he is talking to himself. Well, most people would have said he is crazy, but Naruto knew there is a certain someone on the ship who can turn himself invisible to the human eyes without a problem. That person is Bulat, who must be talking to Tatsumi next to him. The muscular man said that he can't risk getting caught by a bodyguard, since his face is well known all around the Empire so he chose to use his Teigu to secretly scout ahead to see if anything is fishy.

"Yo, I'm back." Naruto announced as he placed his glass on one of the tables without being seen.

"Took you long enough, this isn't a place to slack off you know..." The brown-haired young man said with a raised brow. He too wore the same outfit as Naruto, part of the plan.

"Shut up, you are just simply more skilled to change into these monkey suits than me, that's all." He crossed his arms with a tick mark on his forehead. His golden hair was swept back to not look too messy, something he never wanted to do again. Just two more horns on his head and he could be easily mistaken as a demon, combined with an evil grin of course. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Aniki was talking about an old general friend of his back when he served the Empire but other than that, nothing really happened." Tatsumi completely turned around, facing his friend as he leaned back to rest his body on the ship's rail. "Oh, and we also spotted out target." He secretly pointed to a person, covered by a meatshield of bodyguards. "That's him."

"Hm? He doesn't look much."

***Smack***

"Gah!" A quick punch came from nowhere and hit Naruto on the head.

"Don't get careless now. We don't know if our enemies will decide to show up or not." Bulat's voice came from beside him.

"Ouch... That was cheap." The blond rubbed the big red lump what appeared on his head from the smack. "But you are right." He turned his serious switch on as his expression changed. Something he learned from Akame._ 'I have this bad feeling ever since we made it aboard.'_ He could swear he head Bulat laugh for a minute.

"Than all is good. Keep your guard up all the time!"

***Bzzzt***

The man wanted to say more, but his Teigu decided to interrupt him, producing a strange sound from the armor. "Oh, my invisibility is at it's limit... If I don't take off the armor-" He began.

"They will recognize your face, right?" Tatsumi finished. "Go ahead, leave this area to us." He smiled confidently.

The teigu user did not respond for a few second until he gave him an O.K. "Alright. I'll investigate the ship's lower decks." His footsteps made it clear that he turned around and began to leave. "But before that, Naruto!" He said it loud enough to get the blond's attention. "About that certain something we talked about the other day... You found your answer, right?"

"Eh? Answer?" He said it out loud before a piece of memory appeared inside his mind. He remembered the conversation he had with Bulat inside the cave, and the promise he made to Akame about Kurome. "Yeah, I have my answer."

Despite the armor and it's ability, Naruto knew that Bulat was smiling. "Then, the rest is up to you. Now that your mind is set, the only thing you need to do is move forward." He told him.

"Of course!" With a final nod, Bulat left without saying anything else.

Naruto chose to do his best to find then convince Kurome to leave the Empire, not to join Night Raid, but to leave the enemy's side. He doesn't have a single idea how to do that but he will think of something. He has to.

"Huh? Answer? Is that connected to when you hugged Akame?" Tatsumi brough Naruto out from his train of thought. "I saw it when I decided to drink some water from the kitchen. Nee-san is going to be mad." The brown-haired young man grinned as he saw his friend's reaction. If Naruto still had that glass of wine, he would have surely dropped it.

"D-D-Don't be an idiot! Why would Leone be mad? She has no reason to be angry... Right?" Naruto stuttered._ 'Also, first Aniki... then Nee-san?'_

"Big cats can be quite possessive, you know..."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" He glared at his friend, not understanding what he implied by his previous sentence._ 'I swear, ever since I joined Night Raid, everyone is teasing me.'_

A strange sound alerted the two. It was impossible to pinpoint where is it coming from, and yet it felt like someone is playing on an musical instrument right behind them. It was close, and yet nobody was around the two. Strange, the melody sounded perfect and refined. But something was...

""A flute?"" Both Tatsumi and Naruto exclaimed at the same time, trying to find the source of the sound not knowing why.

A minute later as they were still confused, something inside Naruto's chest lit up, glowing with a bright blue color. "Huh?" He knew what it was, yet he did not care about it for a moment. The blond was confused, lost in thought. Then it hit him. "Oh no..."

They are here.

* * *

**Meanwhile.**  
**Capital.**  
**Royal Palace.**

* * *

What a fine day for celebration. He never thought he would hear a report that can make him so happy. Even the finiest piece of meat couldn't bring him such a joy as this one. Something what should have been ceased to exist is still here, walks on the same roads just like any other beings.

With **this**...

He will certainly erase those assassin group.

And with the cooperation of the Empire's strongest, the victory is already dancing at the tip of his finger.

There is no need to worry anymore...

It's only a matter of time now until he has **it**.

"Ha...Hahaha!" Inside the Throne Room, the Prime Minister laughed with joy between two bites. The food really feels tasty when something good happens. With the plate in his hand, he paid no attention to anyone or anything.

"Today must be a really good one, if you are this happy." Said a voice behind the Prime Minister, Honest. It was a voice filled with inexperience. The current emperor, the ruler of the whole Empire is just a kid, corrupted by him.

"Ah. Please, you should pay no attention to my sudden burst of laughter, Makoto. I just simply received some wonderful news." Honest smiled at the young emperor, telling him that everything is okay. Such an action can easily be seen as fake, an act to deceive.

"Something good happened?" The Emperor asked innocently. "Is it about the six Teigu user what General Esdeath requested?"

"No no. Those people are already decided. This is a more important matter, but it can only be solved by time. Sometimes, we have to sit back and let things happen." He grabbed another piece of meat along with some sweets and devoured them into his bottomless stomach.

"Oh, I see! But I'm curious, what is it?"

"You will see** it** eventually, Makoto. It's only a matter of time now until I bring **it** back."

"Umu! Then I can be assured that peace shall return to the Capital!"

"Of course, Your Majesty. Of course."

Everything is according to plan.

* * *

**Ryuusen.**  
**Deck.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

A scene what cannot be explained. Deaths that cannot be prevented. What happens on the Ryuusen is something what no normal human beings can explain. People fall down to the ground with nothing but emptiness inside their body. They gave up. Everyone gave up.

"It's over..." One of the last survivors said as he too joined his fellow humans and shut his eyes.

"I don't care anymore..." Another one followed the previous man's example.

It looked like a graveyard, an opened graveyard. Except that the people here are not dead, but lost all their will to live. Some have the luxury to grab a knife and end their life, some just lay down in misery, waiting for a miracle.

Walking slowly forward step by step were two figures, both wore the same tuxedo. One held an arm on his stomach, one held an arm on his head. They were confused.

"Guh..." The brown-haired boy gritted his teeth. "What the hell is going on here?!" One moment, he was enjoying his conversation with his friend, and in the other he just lost all his strength from his limbs. He wanted to shout, he beleived that _he_ will hear it and rush to his rescue but he can't even raise his voice. Tatsumi helplessly stood on the ground.

"Crap, all my willpower is gone. I bet it's because that damn flute! My Shingu reacted to its tune." Naruto held his head as he said it. When he boarded the ship, when Bulat left... His instincts were right. He managed to stand up but walking is all he can do at the moment.

"So it's a Teigu. I can't even shut the music out even if I cover my ears." Tatsumi tried to cover his ears but he still heard the flute._ 'Shit, I want to call for Aniki, but my body is losing all it's power...!'_

"Ahhhhh..." A powerful presence appeared behind the two, making it's way up without a care and sending chills down on their spine. "I feel sluggish after hiding for so long." He is bored.

Looking behind them, the two assassins saw a man with long, spiky blond hair and pure white, pupil-less eyes. He wore a black uniform and a headdress similar to horns. But what caught their eyes was a huge battle axe resting on his back.

"Oh?" The man looked surprised as he saw the still conscious Naruto and Tatsumi. "Seems we still have some people resisting after all this time!" He brought both of his hands behind him and grabbed something. "I originally thought there would be only one lucky person for me to fight, but this is better! Way better!"

"This means... You are one of the fake night raiders?" Tatsumi glared at the muscular man.

"?!... Would that make you two real ones? This is great!" The impostor pulled out two shortswords and threw them to Tatsumi and Naruto who could barely catch it. "Here!"

The two stared at the weapon in surprise until Naruto raised his head. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, you see... So that I can become the strongest... I desire more battle experience." A fierce wind that blowed on the deck, shutting out all the sounds from everything else.

"Battle experience?" Naruto said it out loud. "So you just want to as many people as you can?" He narrowed his eyes.

"That's one way to say it. But I prefer to fight my opponents before killing them. It wouldn't be fun if the target can't defend itself." The enemy told him.

"..."

"Naruto..." Tatsumi called out.

"Yeah... We are on our own."

They were alone. The two promised to take care of this side of the ship, so Bulat won't be coming to their rescue. Their enemy is a teigu user who won't stop until he kills them. Can either of them defeat a Teigu without having one?

"Now, come at me! It should be easy to fight here since everybode is already out of the way, right?" The man prepared his huge battle axe, a Teigu that can easily cut anyone in two with a simple swing.

Naruto stood before him with his new weapon in his hands. It was an ordinary sword but it was sharp enough to cut down at least one strong opponent. _'I might be able to do something with my Shingu...'_ Like before, a blue light started to embrace his figure. _'So I'm ending this with a surprise attack!'_ He unsheated his sword and kicked off from the ground, activating his Shingu.

"Here I come!" His opponent's eyes widened as the blond disappeared from his sight. Raising the sword with all his might, Naruto aimed at the man's throat to end the battle quickly before-

***Crash!***

He ran straight into a wall behind the teigu user.

"Naruto! What the hell are you doing?!" Tatsumi yelled as he saw him going face forward into the wooden wall.

The teigu user just stood there dumbfounded, looking back to the poor blond whose upper body got stuck inside the wall. He did not do anything, Naruto just passed through him like he wasn't there.

Pulling himself out of the wall, Naruto cursed inside his mind. He did not understand what happened. First, he saw the axe-user right in front of him then his figure got replaced by a wall. He felt dizzy from the impact. He wanted to know why his attack had turned out like this. Then it hit him... The flute.

"Ohh? Looks like you noticed." His enemy before him smiled. "I don't know what that was, but Scream made your attack miss."

_'Scream?'_ Naruto thought. "That flute?"

"Yes." The man readied his Teigu. "Then let's do this again, shall we? I'm Daidara from the Three Beasts."

"I'm Naruto from Night Raid... And your back is wide open!"

In that instant, Tatsumi jumped up into the air, throwing his sword's sheat behind him.

"I'll give you a nice experience... A one way trip to hell!" He yelled.

The enemy raises his axe and readies the weapon to cut the incoming boy in half. Daidara turned aroung and instantly brought his arm down, expecting to kill the nuisance in one blow.

***Crackle***

But he missed his target and hit thin air with the axe before it crashed into the wooden floor, shards were sent flying everywhere.

A chance.

Naruto dashed forward. He brought his weapon in front of his chest with a tight grip. But Daidara pulled out the axe faster than he could execute his attack and swinged the Teigu straight at him. Sensing the danger, he crouched down to avoid getting his head chopped off. The blond could clearly feel the strong wind what the powerful swing caused.

Taking a quick step, Naruto closed the distance at once and slashed at him but a fist was already waiting for his arrival. "Gah!" He got sent back by a swift punch. His vision turned white for a moment.

"Hoo? Not bad." The teigu user praised the two for avoiding his weapon. "Destroying you two will give me great experience!" He announced as he grabbed his Teigu with both hands and seperated the double-bladed axe into two parts. "Now, what are you going to do about this?" Daidara threw one axe towards Tatsumi.

"?!" The brown-haired boy's breath stops. The Teigu is coming for his head. Tatsumi jumped to the side, barely avoiding the weapon as it cut his left cheek.

"How about you?" Right after he finished his sentence, the already thrown axe changed its direction and was now flying towards Naruto with great speed.

"Wha-?!" The blond leaned back quickly as the Teigu passed through right in front of his eyes. Time slowed down as he saw the blade inches away from his nose. _'Belvaac!'_ Naruto realized what type of Teigu the enemy has. It is an offensive type Teigu what contains a tremendous amount of power. It can be thrown and will pursue the target until it hits. But it changed its target after Tatsumi dodged the blade, so the user can also alter who it will follow.

As the Teigu flew back to the user's hand, the wind what followed its route caused Naruto to waver. The wind also caused his swept back hair to return to its original messy form._ 'This is bad... I can't force down my nausea because of that flute. I also might run straight into his axe if I use my Shingu.'_ This will either be a quick fight or a boring one for the enemy.

"Haaa!" Tatsumi charged at Daidara and Naruto did the same from the other side. The teigu user threw the two axe at equally fast at Naruto and Tatsumi. Seeing the danger, both timed their movement perfectly and avoided the cold blades with a simple step. The enemy was unarmed, this was their chance.

Tatsumi won't make it in time because he was too far away.

But Naruto had something what can cover the distance in a second. It was only a moment ago when he told himself that using his Shingu is suicidal, but right now his enemy had no weapon he might run into. This is a chance worth taking.

"?!" Daidara widened his eyes as the blond disappeared from his vision again.

Naruto is not thinking. His body and mind will fail if he stop. The instant he see Daidara's suprised look, he reel in his sword and swing it with all his might. One small step and he will hit the target. He appeared in front of him.

******▅  
********#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

But before his attack could hit the target, a terrible but familiar headache slowed him down. Just when he had gone past his limits, his mind interfered, telling him it can't keep up. The screeching noise is back in his head. "...Hu...h?"

Both the Teigu parts returns to the user's hands. Daidara raises one one up into the sky and brings it down to the still frozen Naruto, who is still paralyzed thanks to his head.

The pain kicks him back to reality as the axe nearly reaches his head. Not knowing what to do, the still shocked Naruto jumps back as a last resort but it was already too late. Belvaac cuts deep inside his flesh, opening up his right shoulder and letting the blood splurt out.

But Naruto is not the only one who is surprised. His enemy could swear the blond had no idea what was coming to him, this making him unable to jump back... But he still did. He shouldn't have been able to avoid it with his normal speed.

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

Staggering back a couple meter before falling down to his knees, Naruto felt like his head is about to explode.

***Drip***

Blood started flow from his nose like last time. _'N-Not again!'_ He wiped it off with his numb hands. Naruto thought that last time when he thought against Zank he just simply overused his Shingu what caused his body to act weirdly. But now he only used it twice and yet the noise is already killing his brain. But is it really his Shingu? He used it countless of times in the last one month and only Zank managed to drive him to his limits in a serious fight. Then why?

"Naruto, can you stand up?" The screeching noise slowly disappeared and got switched to Tatsumi's voice. He must have been talking to him all this time.

Gathering his strength, Naruto finally stood up, holding his injured shoulder.

But Daidara already pulled back his arm to throw his Teigu. "You are too slow!"

Before he could throw the axe a shadow appeared above him, making him rethink his plan. "Don't just say whatever you want!" Tatsumi aimed a vertical slash at his enemy, who blocked it easily and pushed him back with a counterattack. Even if the young man's attack did nothing, he succeeded in stopping Daidara. "Hey, Naruto! What's wrong?"

The blond slapped himself to completely regain the control over his body. Now that his headache disappeared, he is back to normal. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Then what should we do? We can't just keep dodging forever!"

"I'm working on it!" He replied. They need a plan. "Let's just keep attacking for the time being." He reached into his suit and grabbed two hidden knives between his fingers and threw them.

"Hm?" Like someone who is not interested, Daidara simply pulled up his axe, deflecting one knife while the other just went past him like it doesn't even meant to hit him.

_'Tch! My body is still numb!'_ The two assassin ran forward to their enemy with the intent to kill. _'We just need keep him busy until-'_

***Crash!***

He couldn't finish his thought because the ship suddenly started to shake left and right. Both young men stopped as they were unable to believe their eyes.

A huge snake-like liquid creature just appeared out of the water and crashed into the Ryuusen. Several other water cannons followed its path and they too crashed into the ship. "That's-!" Tatsumi exclaimed.

"Yes, your partner won't be able to come to your rescue." Daidara grinned.

Bulat must be fighting at the other side of the ship all by himself. Is it because they were together? Bulat must have thought that the two can take care of this teigu user or worse, he doesn't even know that they are fighting.

"Get it now?"

They will die...

They will die for sure.

Using his Shingu in his current state nearly broke him. He can't imagine what the pain would be like if he used it again. Wait... What makes him think that it will cost him his life? Why does he think that he will lose more than he will gain? Such a thought never crossed his mind in the past, not even when he fought against Zank.

Once he use it, he won't be the same anymore.

"Maybe if we..." Tatsumi said next to him but the blond paid no attention. He only raised his sword in front of him and took a simple stance. He did not even pay attention to his shoulder wound anymore.

There must be a way to remove his headache. To at least stop it until he finish. Should he try to control it in a different way? It's other ability, those strange red lines won't do the trick. He can't match an offensive type Teigu with strength.

Daidara fixed his gaze on him. "How about it, little Agile boy? Can you keep up?"

"E...Eh?"

Something cracked.

Deep inside him, something shattered. It hit him like a blowing despair.

_'Can you keep up?'_

It echoed inside his mind.

A simple question. It didn't even sound like an insult.

_'Can you keep up?'_

Yet somehow...

_'Can you keep up?' 'Can you keep up?' 'Can you keep up?' 'Can you keep up?' 'Can you keep up?'_

...It pissed him off!

"Tatsumi!" He shouted. "Throw your weapon above him!" He nearly screamed from the anger that dwelled up inside him.

"Wha-? What do you-?" Tatsumi tried to question why but...

"Just do it!" Not waiting for his reply, Naruto shot forward.

He steps back to the battlefield. The wind's died down. There is about twenty meters to the man in black uniform. It'll take less than five seconds to close this distance.

Therefore...

The outcome of the battle will be decided in less than five seconds.

His mind is clear. He threw away everything what could cause him to stop. Naruto knows the scope of his power. The moment he will use his Shingu again, his headache will return and his nose will bleed.

But he doesn't care about it. His mind is clear.

"Come!" Daidara yelled as he threw his axe with his left hand.

Not even looking at the incoming weapon, Naruto took a step to the left and avoided the fatal strike. The flying axe will stop if he kills the user. This is the moment when he will use his own homemade trump card. He reached inside his suit and when his enemy let his guard down, he pulled out a pistol and fired it in an instant.

The bullet went straight through his enemy's right shoulder, making his arm less operational with the Teigu's other part in his hand. "Wha-?" Daidara cried out in surprise.

The pistol what Naruto took from one of the bodyguards when he was on a mission with Leone a few days ago lived up to his expectations. Causing a fatal wound with it to a Teigu user would be impossible-...

**#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;#¤X&amp;**

...so he let it go when his joints in his left arm started to give in. He closed the distance to his enemy and was now right in front of him.

But he failed.

The only thing what occupied his vision was the other axe what his opponent decided to use while he ran up to him. It was only a matter of time until his head will be cut in half.

His mind was clear... But one thing still bugged him.

_'Can you keep up?'_

Time slowed down.

"_'Can you keep up'_ my ass!" He whispered as he planted his feet and grit his teeth.

With a simple twist of his ankle, he achieved a speed he never thought was possible for him and spun around the Teigu without his opponent even knowing what happened.

"YOU keep up with ME!" He yelled as he thrusted the blade towards Daidara's head.

***Stab!***

In the last miliseconds, his opponent managed to shield his head with his left hand, letting the sword go through his forearm.

"You?!" The member of the Three Beasts used his right hand and slashed to the side to cut him in half, but all he found was thin air. Naruto was already above him.

He looked up, spotting him catching Tatsumi's sword in mid air.

All this time, Naruto tried to control his Shingu to manifest around him. One can say that he used it on the outside of his body like an aura to make himself faster. But this time, he made up his mind and used it inside his body not like an aura, but as something what can support his muscles, joints and bones.

Not wasting any time, he brought down his arm and sliced off his enemy's head, ending the battle between a teigu user and two non-teigu user.

It was over.

"Ahhhh...Ahhhh..." He desperately tried to get oxigen into his lungs as the lifeless body fell to the ground behind him. What should have been impossible is now reality. No matter if the enemy has a Teigu or not, anyone can be defeated.

"Hu...h?" Tatsumi's eyes and mouth were wide open. Something amaizing just happened right before him. He never saw his friend so angry before but his plan worked... Whatever it was. "We did it!"

"Gah!"

But before he could smile at the thought that they defeated their enemy, blood poured out of Naruto's mouth as his leg gave out and he too fell to the ground. "Naruto?!" Tatsumi rushed to his side and turned him to his back. He brought his head to his chest to check how he was.

Naruto's heartbeat is strange, one time it beats extremely fast then the next its beat is barely sensible. "A Heartattack?!" Tatsumi is no doctor, so he could only guess.

***Cough***

Naruto coughed up more blood. "Damn! I need to turn him to his side or his own blood will suffocate him!" He had no idea what was going on inside his body. "I swear if your plan was to kill yourself-"

"I'm not dead yet."

"Huh?"

***Cough*** "I said I'm not dead yet..." Naruto said as his eyelids were nearly closed. Fortunately, the pain from his headache was minimal but for compensation, it feelt like something is about to burst out from his chest. He used his hands to push himself up but it did not even take two seconds for him to fall back down._ 'I can't hear well...'_

"Idiot! Just ▉▉▉▉ down, we already ▉▉▉." Tatsumi hoped his friend won't die from bloodloss. But he was wrong about one thing. "Huh? Naruto, ▉▉▉▉ happened to your..." He couldn't finish his sentence because of the shock. The right side of his hair now had red ends. About 5% of his hair turned red.

***Crash!***

A crashing sound came from the lower levels as the same liquid creatre burst out from the wooden floor. It was a miracle that the ship didn't sink yet. As the water monster disappeared into thin air, a person jumped up from the newly created hole and retreated as much as he could. His armor was nearly destroyed.

"Aniki!" Tatsumi yelled as Bulat turned around at the mention of his name.

"Oh, Tatsu...mi?" The man wanted to greet him and Naruto but as he saw the blond and what state he was in, his smile behind the helmet faded. He didn't even had to ask what happened, he already knew.

"I thank you for bringing this fight to the upper levels, Bulat." Literally standing on water, a person came up from the hole using the water at his command. "Now I have more water at my disposal and I don't have to worry about destroying the ocean liner." The man was tall and had grey hair worn in a long ponytail, blue eyes and a mustache.

"And not just that..." Another person appeared on the deck. A large, muscular man with blond hair and golden eyes smiled evily as he streched his body. He too wore the same black uniform as the others. They must be the Three Beasts. "Now there is more than enough space for me to fight."

Bulat was cornered. "Fighting against two teigu users while one is using its trump card sure is tiring." He joked as he swirled his spear with one hand.

Seeing the state his armor is in, Tatsumi stood up from Naruto and walked up to Bulat. "Aniki, leave this one to me!" His statement surprised Incursio's user. "I can keep him busy and help you with your fight. Naruto is already down, I can't let you do all the work." He grabbed his sword what he previously gave to Naruto and grit his teeth.

"Tatsumi..." It took Bulat some time overcome his surprise. "Survive and don't get hit! He used his Teigu's trump card increase his strength. One punch and you are done. I'll quickly finish my part of the battle and help you out." He said as he turned back to the man with a mustache.

Getting his approval, Tatsumi walked up between Bulat and his new opponent.

"Heee? Don't you think you are full of yourself, saying that you can hold me back?" He mocked. "You're bold, I give you that. So what? What can you do alone with that wretched sword?"

"Tch! Now who is the one so full of himself?" Tatsumi wiped the blood off his cheek as he got into a basic stance. Even though he wanted to say something back, his enemy was right. He can't do much all by himself. He doesn't have a Teigu. The only option available for him is to hold him back until Bulat finishes his battle.

***Cough*** "Ahhh...Guh..."

"You are kidding..."

"Hm? Right, I almost forgot that you are still alive."

Pushing himself up with all his might stands Naruto, drenched in his own blood. His arms are numb and he can't even lift them up. It looks like they are just hanging down from his body. His legs were shaking, not from fear but from his weight. He is unable to focus on the enemy, he just stares in front of him like he was already a dead person.

It takes him everything to even lift his head up. The muscles in his arms and legs burned from the effort.

"▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉" Tatsumi's mouth is moving but he can't hear him. He must be worried or angry that he stood up. Just when the blond thought his chest was the only thing what hurt, his headache returned. Now every voice, noise, sound got replaced by that screeching noise he always hear.

Why did he even get up in the first place?

His mind was a mess, he can't even place one word after another. He can't think because everytime he does so, the noise drives him crazy.

"▉▉▉▉" Now it was the enemy's turn to speak. Of course, he can't hear him but seeing that he completely turned towards him, it can only mean one thing.

He is coming for him first.

The enemy raised his fist and aimed a powerful punch while running at high speed. Tatsumi can't save him because he is too far away. The only thing what can save his life is for him to dodge the attack. Naruto is unarmed since his sword is already sticking out of Daidara's arm and Tatsumi took his sword back. He needs to dodge.

How hard can it be to step to the side? He is coming.

Dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge you idiot...! He doesn't care if he have to endure the pain in order to make himself move. Unless he dodge this attack, he can never-

"Oh..."

He is dead.

Like someone who is not interested in anything, Naruto let out a lifeless voice as his vision cracked.

No, not just cracked. His vision is broken.

His legs gave out from beneath him. He did not even see or feel the fist meeting his face as everything turned white right before it.

Eternal whiteness.

* * *

**Night ▉▉▉▉ Headquar▉▉▉▉.**  
**▉▉▉▉'s Room.**  
**▉▉ning.**

* * *

"Ahhh...ah..."

It was morning. He could clearly feel the sunlight warming up his body, making him slowly open his eyes. Naruto groaned as he found himself in his room. At first, he wanted to sit up and do his every day routine but as soon as he pushed the bedsheet to the side, he remembered that he shouldn't be here.

"Eh? Wha-?" He looked over his body, seeing bandages everywhere. Heck, he looks like a mummy. "But..." He doesn't understand. So did everyone make it? Tatsumi managed to hold the enemy back while Bulat defeated them?

Naruto slowly pushed himself up, feeling the cold floor with his feet. He placed his hand on his forehead and he was surprised when no headaches, no nose bleeds or anything else happened. He is fine.

"Geez, I must have been in a coma or something. I feel like I haven't used my legs in a month." They were like jelly and controlling them was harder than normal. He reached out with his hand to grab his clothes.

"I don't understand what happened, but I better meet the others."

And with that thought in his mind, he exited from his room.

Walking through the hallway without any problem, he started to piece everything together. How he carelessly used his Shingu, how he managed to defeat a Teigu user without actually having one and how he blacked out right before the fatal blow. He could use some help with the last one. Or at least an explanation why he is alive.

"Hm?" Just when he was about to take the stairs down, a familiar figure walked up on it. "Lubba?!" He exclaimed with a small smile.

Hearing his nickname from his friend, the green-haired teen looked up. Without wasting any time, he quickly rushed up to him and greeted him with a simple wave of his hand.

Naruto was about to do the same... But...

", ?"

The screeching noise replaced Lubbock's voice.

"Huh?"

"? !" With a grin on his face, Lubbock patted him on the back, probably saying that he was glad that his friend is alright and went past through Naruto, possibly towards his own room, leaving the blond in the middle of the hallway, shocked.

"What the..." Despair started to fill his very soul. He is fine. His body, his mind, everything is completely fine... So why? "No, this must be just a little..." He rushed down the stairs and into the first room what got in his way, the kitchen.

There, he saw Akame cutting the vegetables up for the lunch and Tatsumi taking care of the meat.

"Tatsumi, Akame!" He called out to them.

"?!" Both turned around as they heard Naruto. "? !" Tatsumi was the first one to speak up. He looked happy and one would have thought that he forgot about the meat.

"." Akame said with a bright smile.

The only problem for Naruto was that he couldn't hear them. Just the painful screeching noises that could have easily driven him insane. Not knowing what to do, the blond just smiled awkwardly and left the kitchen, going out to the training grounds.

He was getting seriously worried.

There in the open, he saw Bulat training with a spear. On one side, he was glad that everyone made it out alive but on the other, he felt helpless as he heard Bulat's characteristic battle cry turn into nothing but incomprehensible creak.

"No..."

He didn't even bother to say hi to him as he made his way somewhere else. On the way, he passed by Mine whose arm have already healed up. Even her insults were replaced by the noises. He would never admit it openly, but he rather listen to her insults than not being able to hear anything.

In the end, he stopped by a huge rock on the grassy field and sat down on the ground. What should he do now? He wondered. Is this because he used his Shingu? Or just simply his luck decided to kick him on the back? It hurts. What if he will no longer hear anything else? What if he-

"Naruto?" A gentle voice came from the top of the huge rock. The air froze, the time slowed down. The young man in question recognized this voice. He would have jumped up and down in joy just from the fact that he heard someone's voice but instead, that happiness quickly turned into nothing as he looked up to the person who called out to him.

"Shee...le?" His brain stopped working. The woman who died a week ago is right there, sitting on the same rock and reading a book like usual. At this point, he was too afraid to say anything.

"I'm glad to see that you are fine, Naruto." She sat in front of him, clad in her trademark purple dress. The wind caressed her beautiful purple hair with such gentleness, and upon her face was the unforgetable clumsy look he'd come to associate with.

"Ho...w?" There were so many things he wanted to ask and yet he was unable to get a single word normally out of his mouth. "H-How can I... hear you?" He asked the first question what appeared inside his head.

"Eh? What do you mean how?" Sheele tilted her head in question.

"Ah, never mind that." Naruto got up from the ground. "But how is that you... I mean... Seryu... You were..." Then it hit him. "Or could it be that was just a... dream?" He whispered under his breath as sad smile curved up on his face.

"You're making me worry. Are you sure you're completely healed up?" She asked.

"Don't worry." He scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile on his face.

Hearing his answer, Sheele nodded and opened her book. "Oh no, I did it again!" She closed the book and checked the title. "I've already read the first part. I wanted to read the second one, but I must have picked the wrong book from the living room." She blamed her clumsiness.

Is this some kind of joke what the people from up there decided to do? Naruto clearly remembers the moment when Mine told him and everyone else that Sheele has been killed. And now she is here right in front of him. But it felt so real, the pain inside his chest, the tears what rolled on his cheeks and the anger he felt... What should he do with all this?

"I'll get it for you." In a monotone voice, Naruto gently took the book from Sheele, turned around and began to walk back. That's right. Sheele is already dead. He must be a cold corpse on the Ryuusen already and all of this is just a weird hallucination before he goes to Hell. He would just hurt himself by staying here any longer.

"Naruto." Before the blond could leave, Sheele called out to him. As he turned around, he saw the bespectacled woman giving him a beautiful smile as the wind died down again for a moment. "There is no need to worry. I'll be here when you get back."

What could she mean by that?

"Yeah... I know..."

He left.

Arriving at Night Raid's entrance, he wondered when he will wake up in front of the Devil. If there is even a chance for him to wake up in the afterlife. Just as he thought moments again, he could be dead or braindead and this is just an illusion until his body finally gives up the fight.

Naruto reached out with his hand and opened the front door then closed it behind him. He doesn't want to meet anybody right now.

.

.

"Yes, tie him up."

.

.

He heard a voice. It was low and faint but it sounded like it was coming from the back of the hallway.

"Who is-" But then he looked around him. He was no longer inside the Night Raid building. Everything's changed. It was nearly pitch black and only a few torches provided light from the stone walls. "A dungeon?" He quickly looked behind him to check the door but all he found was the same dirty stone wall. "What?"

"Let me go!" Another voice came from the end of the creepy hallway.

Naruto took a deep breath and walked forward, hearing the voices closer and closer.

"The brat just can't stay still!"

"Give him another shot!"

"N-No! Let me... go!" The person who was most likely trying to get free from someone or something suddenly stopped resisting and his voice died down.

"Done."

As Naruto arrived in front of a wide open door, it took all of his strength not to puke. The scene was horrible. A lot of young children were in the room but with the exception of one, all of them were dead. The rags they had were red from their blood. A handful of them even had several running sores on their body. The last kid who has fallen asleep because of the drug was tied up on a table. The doctors were standing all around the child, no Naruto can't even call them doctors. They won't do something as cruel as this.

"You think the last one will survive like in those fairy tales? The _Chosen One_, huh?" One of them asked as he handed a blue gem-like object to his colleague.

"Who knows. We are just here to carry out the surgery. It doesn't matter if all of them dies or not a single one." It was clear that he didn't care even if he succeds or not.

"But the surgery was the direct order of-"

"I know, I'm not an idiot. But we can't do much if his brain or internal organs won't be able to endure it."

Naruto couldn't see the poor kid's face because someone was in the way and going inside the room is... He just couldn't do it.

"Even if he survives the surgery, a couple more years and he will die anyway."

"Why? Then what's the point of this?"

The person blocking the view raised the blue gem and pointed at it with one finger. "It's simple, look here. This thing won't be just sitting inside him with a newspaper in its hands. First, it will spread through his whole body, creating its own path so the user can control it. Second, it will enwind his internal organs. Then lastly, it will connect to his brain. After each use, it will spread deeper and deeper until it stabs into the brain or crushes the internal organs under the pressure. The rest of it is already in liquid form, but it still needs a core." He must be the Chief of Medical Staff.

"So the kid will die anyway? Then all this work..."

"Not quite. There are two ways to remove it, not without consequences of course, and one to supress it. Locked up with the others inside the palace, there is a Teigu what can suppress it. He can live a normal life if one of these three ways actually happen, but the Prime Minister only needs the boy for a short amount of time so at this rate, his life won't be long."

"Heh. You sure know much at the age of 19. How did you end up here?"

"Oh? I'm just barely doing this for the corpses. I accepted this task personally from the Prime Minister only for half of the bodies. Even if they are dead, those Shingus are still valuable inside them."

Naruto's breathing stopped. Shingu... he said?

The supposed 19 years old young man turned to the side and walked up to a nearby counter, grabbing a scalpel. As he moved out of the way, Naruto saw the poor kid on the table.

.

.

It was him, right before his Shingu got transplanted into him. His younger self is tied up on the table. Then this is not a dream but a...

"Let's get this over with. Those bodies will turn cold if we don't hurry." He raised the scalpel. "Hmm... This is not stylish at all..." Then he brought down his arm.

As the light got reflected on the scalpel's blade, the brightness nearly blinded Naruto. The way the fake doctor used the scalpel in his hand, it felt like it wasn't a scalpel at all but a sharp knife.

Naruto will never forget the gleam what he saw in this vision...

...The gleam of a cold knife.

**Memory Shard: END**

* * *

**Great Canal.**  
**Ryuusen.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

"Argh..." He groaned in pain as he opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was the rain caressing his face. When Naruto's eyes shot open, he saw that he was on the familiar ship, the Ryuusen again. "I'm alive?" As soon as he tried to speak, he started to feel terribly sick. "Ugh... it tastes bad... in my mouth..." He taste blood in his mouth. For a second, he forgot why he feel like this. His head is throbbing like there is no tomorrow.

The last thing he recalls was the party. He remembers that he was late because it took him twice as much time to change into his tuxedo. Then everything is a blank after that. There was a bright light... like a gleam or something, then Sheele... and...

He stand up.

"Gah..." But he instantly fell back. The most he could do was turn over and support himself with one arm while still on the wooden floor. The pain inside his chest increases when he move. His body is heavy and he feels like his heart is about to explode every time he brings oxigen to his lungs. Something tells him he is lucky he can still breath.

***Clank!***

Swords clash and sparks fly the moment he decided to observe his surroundings. Right in front of him was Bulat, blocking a powerful slash with Incursio in his hands.

"?!" Then he remembered everything. The flute, the battle against Daidara, the blood coming out of his mouth, and the dream. Everything came back to him. It's only natural that he feels dizzy again, he got nearly pummeled into the ship by that blonde guy with a flute who used its trump card.

To his right, kneeling on the floor was Tatsumi, watching the fight between Bulat and the man with a mustache with awe. If Tatsumi is here and he himself is not dead, then what happened to the other guy? "Ta-...tsumi..." He grit his teeth to ease the pain.

"Naruto, you are awake!" Tatsumi too struggled to speak as his body was full of bruises and wounds. Naruto was glad to hear his voice and not that noise.

"Where is the other guy?" The blond said weakily.

"Don't worry, Aniki took care of him..." Then Tatsumi looked down with a sad look. "But he sacrificed his chance to defeat his own opponent and as a result, Incursio's armor vanished. I couldn't hold him back."

***Clank!***

Bulat takes a step forward, facing his opponent head on and predicting how to counterattack his strike. He concentrates everything he has in his arm, and swing down with all his might.

But it does no good. The enemy is just as fast as him. He wards off Bulat's attack like nothing, and his sword lunges to pierce his heart.

They are no longer capable to use their Teigu, so the two are determined to decide the outcome of the battle with their sword techniques.

***Clank!***

The enemy's surprised face was a given the moment Bulat parried the attack and answered with the same strike. The enemy positioned his weapon to block the attack.

But right before that.

Bulat stepped forward, earning the chance to attack from a different angle. Now that his opponent already brought up his sword, all he had to do is change the place where his attack will land.

***Slash!***

And he executed the slash with everything he had to offer, slashing through the enemy like a hot knife through butter.

"He did it!" Tatsumi shouted as Naruto smiled next to him.

The fight was decided. Therefore...

Why did the enemy smile?

Time froze as Naruto's blood ran cold. His heart screamed from the pain but for why, he didn't understand.

In mid air, the last member of the Three Beasts crossed his arms as his now flowing blood shot out from his body like needles. Using his own blood as a last resort, the man grinned as he unleashed his fatal and final attack.

"Uwooooo!" Using his remaining power, Bulat cut through the attacks, blocking each and every one of them until his strength left him. Several needles jabbed into his flesh as a result but he managed to cover his vital areas.

"Aniki!" Despite his injuries, Tatsumi rushed to his side.

"Bulat!"

"The wounds aren't fatal, don't worry." Bulat reassured them. "Using his own lifeblood to attack... His determination is amazing. As soon as I saw his blood splashing about, I realized that was also a form of liquid."

_'Liquid? So his Teigu's power was to control any kind of liquid?'_ Naruto thought as he listened to their conversation. _'But still, even if not in our top shape, we still survived. I'm relieved.'_ He smiled, seeing Tatsumi lift Bulat up from the ground despite the difference between their weight.

On the other side, the enemy who was supposed to be dead raised his hand up and grabbed the small symbol what was present on his tie.

"River..." Bulat muttered.

"Bulat. There is one more thing I want to tell you... The true reason I decided to join Esdeath-sama's army." The man named River said. "When I thought all was lost, that there is no longer a meaning for my life, she came to my aid. Esdeath-sama offered me a place in her army along with a new reason for me to live. In that moment..." His grip on the tie tightened. "I adored her... It was only for that reason!"

Using up the last drop of his energy, River pushed himself up and pointed a finger at Bulat.

"Therefore... As one who exists solely to serve Esdeath-sama, I'll be giving her your life!"

And right in the very same moment, Bulat's body wavered and blood came out of his mouth. He vomited his own blood.

"Aniki!"

"NO!" Naruto yelled. He desperately tried to push himself up but his body did not listen to him.

"Hehe... That syringe... It wasn't just a strengthening serum, was it? There was also a deadly poison mixed in...!" Bulat started to feel the changes inside his body.

"There is no antidote. The poison is already flowing through your body... There is no escape..." But the Reaper decided to take River's life first as his eyes started to close on their own. "I'll be... going on ahead..." He whispered as he fell back, dead.

.

.

.

The rain continued to wash away the bloodstains from the ship with ease.

"As expected of my former boss... So it's a tie then, huh?" Bulat whispered. "G**u**h**a**h**!**" More blood escaped from his mouth.

Naruto stared at him in agony. This must be a sick joke. Bulat can't die like this! He started to wonder why him? Why Bulat? He himself is more than suited to die in his place. He is just an experiment, a broken piece in this world, and yet he is the one who survives. Tatsumi must be thinking the same thing as his expression was just like his.

"Tatsumi..." Bulat whispered weakly as he pointed forward. "The fight isn't over, yet..."

"Huh?"

Coming out into the open again was the flute-user who was supposed to kill Naruto after he passed out. He looked like he was fine.

_'What?'_ Naruto was surprised. He was passed out at the time, but when he woke up the guy was nowhere around. So what happened when he was out?"

"Fuuuu... That punch sure was strong. But as I see, Incursio is no longer protecting your body, so delivering another punch like that is highly impossible now. Combined with River's poison, I've already won."

***Shhh***

Tatsumi pulled out his sword, seeing that he is the only one who can still fight._ 'This is bad... Tatsumi can't defeat him!'_ Naruto grit his teeth._ 'I have to get up and help him!'_ But as soon as he put a little strength into his limbs, his mucles screamed in pain._ 'Damn it, I can't get up!'_ He cursed inside his head.

"Tatsumi, I'm entrusting this to you." Bulat broke the tension as he raised his weapon and reached it out to Tatsumi.

"Huh? This is..." The surprised brown-haired boy looked at the Teigu with confusion.

"It's Incursio's key. The armor will come to the one who possess it."

"M-Me?! Use your Teigu?!" He backed away.

Meanwhile, Naruto clenched his fists. Right now, he is useless. He doesn't even have the ability to stand up thanks to the intense pain inside his body. Bulat's skin is getting paler by the second and Tatsumi is about to use a Teigu that might kill him. It shouldn't have end like this. There must have been another way to defeat Daidara other than using his Shingu. Then he probably would have been able to keep the flute-guy off of Bulat together with Tatsumi. But now... The only thing he can do is to believe in his friend.

***Smack***

The sound of something crashing into the floor made Naruto raise his head. Bulat smacked Tatsumi and sent him nearly flying across the ship.

"Don't get caught up in your opponents pace, you dumbass!" He yelled. "Think of your training and the experiences you've been through... You are more than suited to use it, Tatsumi!"

Incursio was now in Tatsumi's hand. The young man placed a hand on his bruised cheek.

"If it's you, it'll be alright...! Do it! Tatsumi!"

"Aniki..." Forcing back his surprised expression, Tatsumi took one last glance at Bulat, then Naruto. He smiled as he saw his blond friend giving him a weak nod. He gripped Incursio tight and stood up. "Hehe... If someone I respect says all that..." He looked up with a clear mind. He knew the risks if he dares to use Incursio, but he didn't care. He brought the Teigu up, pointing it at the enemy. "I have to live up to his expectations as a man!"

"Shout it out, Tatsumi! With your raging spirit!" The muscular man yelled.

"INCURSIOOOOO!"

The floor exploded and everyone's body froze as the gigantic armor appeared behind Tatsumi, opening its mouth as if wanting to devour somebody. Naruto stared at the brown-haired boy with wide eyes as the Teigu completely surrounded his body, changing his appearance. "Tastumi..." He whispered. He couldn't do anything else, just to stare at his friend, knowing that he can't help him.

"Tatsumi... I see, your feeling have made Incursio evolve once again!" Bulat said as he walked up next to Naruto with his remaining strength. The dust and the steam disappeared, revealing Incursio's shining armor. "Don't worry, Naruto... he did it."

As Tatsumi and the enemy began their last conversation with each other, Naruto closed his eyes as he let the rain wash him away. "Are you...going to die too?" The words just came out of his mouth without the blond even realizing it.

"In this world... no matter how hard you try... you can't save everyone... not while the Empire is like this." Bulat dropped down on one knee. "Death is not something... we can avoid easily." He coughed up more blood. "I want you to stay strong, Naruto. You and Tatsumi got caught up in all this, but I know that the two of you can erase the corruption."

"...But I'm useless. Even if I was here... I couldn't do anything. I thought that I can make a difference, but you are still dying." Naruto was on the verge of tears.

"That's not true... you two have more potential than anyone else in Night Raid." Bulat reached down and ruffled Naruto's hair. Only now did he notice the change in his hair color. A small part of his hair has lost its natural golden color and turned red, the same red as his own blood. "Move forward... and never look back... It does not matter whether your talents prompt you to pick up a sword, a shield or a pen. What matters is if you are brave enough to walk on the road what you have chosen." Bulat smiled. "We are no heroes but assassins. We can only shine in the darkness."

"..." Naruto remained silent.

"UWOOOOOO!" Tatsumi yelled as he launched towards the last member of the Three Beasts and punched him with all his might. Now that he had Incursio, the enemy had no chance to even dodge the attack. The fist just came out of nowhere and sent him into the wall with enough strength to broke almost all of his bones. Tatsumi won in an instant.

"Hahah... amaizing. If he has that much power now, he'll certainly surpass me in no time." The strength in Bulat's legs disappeared and he fell back. The blond next to him could only look as the light started to fade from his eyes. He just got through Sheele's death... And now...

"Run past me from out of nowhere..."

"I'll be watching over you two..."

"Tatsumi... Naruto"

.

.

.

.

It happened again... He lost another friend.

.

.

.

.

* * *

**Meanwhile.**  
**Tensui Village.**

* * *

"Laa~Lalaa~"

Atop of a hill, a lone girl sang a hearthwarming song with her eyes closed. She has short black hair and wears a black sailor uniform. A sheated long katana was also present on her hip.

"Laalaaan~"

The Sun is just about to go down, moving beneath the horizon and changing the time of day to night. One would think that this just an everyday scenery with a girl singing at sunset, but the hill she is currently sitting on... was made of dead bodies. All of them were dead with one fatal and clean cut by the girl's katana. The smell didn't bother her because the sunset always make her happy. Even if it was a long 9 years ago, that certain moment is still vivid inside her mind.

In her right hand was a small bag of candies. The bag was nearly full. The girl tried to grab one to ease the painful memory she always remember at this time of the day...

...But she dropped the candy mid-way down to one of the dead bodies.

She couldn't eat it no matter how painful her suffering was.

She made a promise... and she already reached her daily limit. She can't eat anymore or else her body would automatically pushes the whole candy out of her system without even trying to digest it.

_'He'_ was right all along. Only six candy was enough for her to not fall back and let the others to leave her behind. She was able to keep up, even if she had to work hard. It wasn't necessarry for her to take the drug therapy. She only has to eat six cookies or candies filled with enhancing drugs everyday.

She wrapped up the bag.

"Hehehe. Kurome, it's almost time for us to dispose of the bodies." A man in a black uniform walked up to the hill near the girl, named Kurome.

"Oh, That's fine. I was growing tired of them anyway." Kurome said as she nodded to the solider.

"Kurome. A request for you to return to the Capital has come. Straightly from the Prime Minister himself." Another black uniformed man appeared next to the previous one with a letter in his hand.

"Huh? Just me?" She tilted her head in surprise.

"Yeah... seems like it. You're one of six people with a possible seventh member who've been selected for some mission or something."

All kinds of emotions that were previously present on the girl's face now suddenly disappeared. Kurome just looked up to the sky with an emotionless look what she usually shows to her enemies and spotted a star what was shining brightly despite the still half-present Sun.

Kurome stood up from her place, dusting herself down.

"The Capital, huh...?" She whispered.

She stared at the far away star. "This time, maybe I'll find out why you had broken our promise. Right..."

"...Naruto?"

**Chapter 7: END.**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Chapter 8: Kill the Hunters (Part C)**

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Training Grounds.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

Three days.

Three full days have passed since the day Naruto, Tatsumi and Bulat fought against the Three Beasts on the ocean liner, Ryuusen. By now, most of the wounds from the fight have healed, but something deep within the two newly joined members heart remained. Something painful what made them experience a pain worse than a fatal wound.

Night Raid's _'Tank'_, as Naruto used to joke around when everyone were together...

Bulat...

...Was no longer with them.

He died with a smile on his face while putting all of his hope and passion into Naruto and Tatsumi. The first day was hell. No one dared to ask anything from them except Najenda, who wanted to hear their report about what happened. The two young men showed no emotion even to those who tried to cheer them up... Until they've remembered Bulat's words... About moving forward even in these hard times.

Tatsumi and Naruto quickly regained everything and proceeded to train, to prepare for the future.

But that wasn't the only thing what has changed. Naruto's condition was critical. The_ 'thing'_ inside his chest went out of control and nearly made his heart explode from the pressure what was placed upon it by using his Shingu. The extensive use even caused a rebound effect that made the pigment cells in a part of his hair change for some reason, resulting in that certain part to turn red. After he was forced to explain all of that, Najenda even remarked that it is a possibility that he lost at least 5 years from his lifespan.

His heartbeat was now back to normal, but if Naruto dare to try to use his Shingu again, he will risk to lose more years from his life. Who knows, what if he originally had 6 more years to live? Now he would have had just one. But for some reason he was not afraid from this.

He just have to live the rest of his life without using his Shingu. And to do that without dying on the battlefield, he needs a Teigu.

"Haa!"

Naruto launched forward with a sharp short sword in his hand as he slashed at his opponent with all his might. His shoulder injury was still slightly present and it made him cry out in pain every now and then, but he didn't care. He just kept moving forward.

***Clank!***

His attack was blocked and he got pushed back. He quickly regained his balance and twisted his body to jump up and strike from above.

"A splendid counter, but not good enough." Naruto's sparring partner, Akame said as she stepped to the side and thrusted her weapon forward, aiming a non-lethal but still dangerous stab at Naruto's shoulder. Even though she is using a normal katana, she is just as good with it as if using Murasame.

Seeing the aproaching blade, Naruto pulled back his weapon and brought it to his chest in a defensive way. He blocked the stab and let the blade pass next to him before he landed behind Akame.

"Haaa... Haaa." Naruto was panting heavily, taking deep breath to get as much as oxigen to his lungs as possible.

"You've improved yet again, but we should stop for today." Akame said as she sheated her katana. "You are exhausted and your awareness have fallen. Since we are using real weapons, I can't have you take a direct hit from me because you don't have the energy to dodge.

"Haaa... Haa... Okay." Naruto lowered his guard and he too sheated his weapon. "Personally, I'd like to continue but you said that I improved, so I'm happy." Naruto smiled as he dusted himself down. The blond got over Bulat's death faster than Sheele's because now he knew that crying won't solve anything. "Then tomorrow at the same time?"

"Yes." She nodded. Ever since the night Naruto talked with her, Akame was starting to open up to him. She didn't know what this strange sensation was that kept appearing inside her chest but Akame felt relived the more she talked with the blond.

"Hehe. I might as well join the others while they train." He grinned before turning around to go to the others. Tatsumi and Lubbock too were training ever since Bulat died. The green-haired boy now finally had the resolve to train his body.

"Naruto..." Before he could leave, Akame called out to Naruto, avoiding eye contact as he turned around.

"Hm?"

"...Be careful." She said. Three days ago when Tatsumi and a nearly half-dead Naruto arrived, the remaining Night Raid members expected the worst. Tatsumi had to carry Naruto for the second half of the way along with the three Teigu what they confiscated from the Three Beasts. Seeing the state the blond was in and all of his blood on his clothes, Akame was the first one to rush to his aid. Mine even remarked the exreme apprehension in her voice as she asked the doctor who have arrived from the Revolutionary Army about Naruto's condition every 20 minutes.

"Don't worry. I'll only do push-ups. My shoulder can take it if Leone won't sit on my back."

***Whack!***

"I heard it!" Said an angry Leone after she whacked him on the head, creating a big red lump on it. "Geeez, it's been only a few days and you can't think about anything else but training. You should focus on recovering first." She forced a smile what clearly told everyone that she was pissed about Naruto mentioning her weight. Even if indirectly.

"Ouch... What was that for? I didn't say anything bad!" He shot back as he looked at her. "Anyway, Bulat believed in us, believed in me even if I was useless back there. I can't let anything like that happen again. When I was on the ground and saw him got pierced by those blood needles, I couldn't do a damn thing." His expression turned serious. "Next time, if any of my friends are in a tight situation, I'll definitely save him or her. That includes you too, Leone!"

For a moment, a faint blush appeared on Leone's cheeks what Naruto luckily missed. "Hoo? That sounds cool and all, but if you are weaker than me, than I will be the one who save you a couple thousand more times."

"I'm serious. I won't let you down!" With a final grin, he turned around and left to join the others in their training. "Hey, Lubba, Tatsumi! I'm joining in!" Naruto shouted as he saw his friends are in the middle of a contest. They are competing to see who can do more push-ups without stopping for even a second.

Back at the other side of the training grounds, Leone crossed her arms under her chest. "Tch. Why does he have to act all cool and serious these days?" Leone wanted do deny the fact that it made her happy when Naruto said he will protect her. "It's harder to tease him this way."

"You are worried about him..." Akame popped out next to Leone, startling her.

"Can't say I'm not." Akame was not the only one who acted strange at the sight of a half-dead Naruto. Leone usually gets over the death of her friends quickly, at least that is what is shown from the outside. One or two minutes and she forces back her emotions when the news arrive, but the tought of Naruto dying actually made her froze in her place. Was it because it's fun to play with him or just joke around with him? One thing is for sure, it's fun to hang out with him. "Even if he promised not to use his powers, I know that he lied."

Two or three uses, that's his limit before the Shingu starts to deteriorate his brain and nervous system.

.

.

.

**10 Minutes Later.**

"Gaaah. I'm beat!" Naruto's arms gave in and he fell down to the ground with his face forward. A minute later, Lubbock followed him, making Tatsumi the winner. "Training with Akame sure is exhausting." Now that he sparred with her, he couldn't even defeat Lubbock in a simple push-up competition.

"Ah, what a stench!"

Appearing in front of the three, Mine covered her nose in hope to shut out the smell what was coming from them. Her arm was no longer in a sling, so she must have been recovered from her injuries.

"Heya, Mine!" Tatsumi greeted her while the other two just waved, still exhausted from the push-ups and other activities.

"What were you guys doing that made you all sweat like that?" She sweatdropped.

"Just training." Tatsumi continued his push-ups. "...After equipping it I understand, Incursio consumes an amaizing amount of spiritual and physical energy to use. In order for me to be able to use it as well as Aniki... I need to train my body more...! As it is now... I can barely use its invisibility for a few seconds before it releases."

This actually made Mine curious.

"Ah, you are all here." Najenda joined along with Akame and Leone. Night Raid's leader was carrying a huge bag with all the Teigu the members have recovered. The Three Beasts' Teigus were also in it.

"Boss... You are leaving?" Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead as he asked Najenda.

"Yeah, I need to deliver the three Teigu we confiscated from the Three Beasts along with the others." Najenda said as she placed her bag down on the ground for a second to pick up the battle axe Teigu, Belvaac.

"...Boss, that axe is unbelievably heavy." Tatsumi commented, warning her. He had to carry it along with a sleeping Naruto with the other two Teigu back home. It wasn't his best experience, stopping every 15 minutes to catch his breath.

"Ah, I can handle this much." And just when she said it, Najenda raised the axe with her right arm like it was nothing but a stick. "See? I wouldn't be able to use it as a weapon, but if it's just carrying it, there's no preoblem."

Tatsumi leaned closer to Naruto. "Was the Boss always this amazing?"

"Don't ask me, your guess is as good as mine." Naruto shrugged with his shoulders.

"Isn't it obvious? She's a former general, you know." Lubbock answered him.

"I leave the place in your hands, Akame. Standing orders are "Everyone train"!" Najenda told Akame who nodded. "The main reason I'm heading to HQ will be to secure some new members. We were fortunate that you two have joined, but now we are back to how our previous number was. I can feel that things will get harder from here on, so I'm hoping they can spare some talented people to replenish our fighting srength... But I'm not holding my breath."

Naruto and Tatsumi looked down. They were weak and couldn't prevent Bulat's death.

"Also, I have one last thing I want to say before I go. Naruto..." She looked at Naruto. "Remember the book about the Shingu what you've took from our Capital Hideout? You might be able to find something else about them in one of those books. This is not urgent, so you are free to eaither go to the Capital for it anytime, or won't go there at all. It's up to you."

"Another book? Sure, I can go and get it today, but won't I get noticed? I mean, I was on the ship and..."

"Don't worry, the people on the ship were knocked out. None of them suspect that you were awake and fighting a Teigu user at that time." Najenda lighted her cigarette.

"Okay. Then I'll go there now."

"You did well, both you and Tatsumi." Before Naruto could fully turn around, Najenda called out to him, making him look back. "You've defeated a Teigu user without having a Teigu, that is an astonishing feat. Esdeath's army has certainly been weakened as a whole due to this. Tatsumi proved to be compatible with Incursio, allowing him to also defeat a member of the Three Beasts. This will do much to allay the concerns over when the revolution will take place. You two are strong, Bulat would be proud." She finished, leaving the two young men behind with a smile. "Live on."

_**'It does not matter whether your talents prompt you to pick up a sword, a shild or a pen. What matters is if you are brave enough to walk on the road what you have chosen.'**_

Bulat's words echoed in Naruto's head as he clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He can't let him down. He will be strong enough to live up to his expectations!

* * *

**Four Hours Later.**  
**Capital.**  
**Noon.**

* * *

.

.

.

"Crap, at this rate, I will miss the lunch!" Naruto ran through the Capital's noisy streets as fast as he could, taking detours and shortcuts as much as he could. _'Damn you Lubba, making me clean the bookstore!'_ He was caught off guard and Lubbock made him promise that he will clean his bookstore. Naruto was so lost in time that he forgot to notice how long he had been cleaning. He also forgot to bring his wallet, so he can't just buy food with nothing. If he misses lunch, he will be without food until dinner. On top of that, he didn't even find the book Najenda asked him to get.

"Damn, this isn't my day." He spotted an empty alley what he could use to buy 10 or more minutes.

He quickly entered the alley to run through it as fast as he could until-

"Hey, hey! Lookie here! Someone has an expensive attire." A man with a knife in his hand appeared before Naruto, forcing him to stop. A second later, three more thugs appeared. Two in front of him, making the number to three, and one behind him. Four...

"Please, come on! I don't have time for this!" The blond cursed his luck. He will never get back to have his ramen and Akame will cut him up if he dares to cook while Najenda forbid him.

"Well, we neither. So why don't you just hand over everything that is-"

***Kick***

In a blink of an eye, Naruto shot forward and sidekicked the man, sending him into the wall. He switched to close combat in a minute, punching the next two guys in the face. "Ah! Why now of all the times!" He screamed as he left the alley in a hurry. The fourth thug did not even try to do anything after withnessing his power. He just simply nodded to himself and turned around slowly, walking away slowly like a robot.

After he missed a couple dinners thanks to his training, Najenda prohibited him to use the kitchen outside breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now he can't cook anything and can't just make a sandvich without Akame noticing it. Even if Najenda is not at the Night Raid Headquarters at the moment, Akame would be just like her.

Exiting from the alley, now he was on the main street, he just need to follow it to the end and he will be free from all the thugs and crowds.

"Maybe I should use the other path to home this time..." He wondered, not noticing a young man looking up to the sky in front of him. At the last moment, Naruto looked up, seeing the person only inches away from him. He wanted to avoid him by all cost, but it was too late.

***Crash***

"Ahhh!"  
"Ahhh!"

He crashed right into the man, making them both fall down to the ground.

"Urgh... That's what I get for running too fast..." Naruto came to his senses a few seconds later, seeing nothing but darkness. He brought his hand up to rub his eyes but the only thing he found was something slippery occupying the place where his eyes should be. "Huh?" So he grabbed it to see what the object was. "A fish?" A fish just landed right on his face after he crashed into the man.

"Ah! The memento what Mom forced upon me!" Yelled a person next to the still confused blond. Naruto looked up, seeing a young man of above avarage height with short dark blue hair and eyes. He wears a blue leather jacket and a red scarf with an anchor on it. He is also carrying a bag of fish in his right hand. The fish must have been got out from it, landing on Naruto's head.

Looking around him, Naruto saw a few more fishes wriggling on the ground. "S-Sorry! I help you get them." Naruto apologized and quickly got up from the ground not even caring about the other people around him. Almost everyone were staring at him and the young man in front of him. The drak blue-haired man simply nodded and opened the bag for Naruto to put the fishies inside.

It took him a while but after 10 long minutes, he got all of them. "Sorry again. I should have looked where I was going." He scratched the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it." The blue-haired man replied. "Actually, I thought that you were here to attack me or something. Everyone was staring at me weirdly, so someone might have decided to attack me... Haha..." He too scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, I know how it feels. I used to get all those stares while walking on the streets every now and then. Took me a while to forget about all of them. Must be because I'm from the countryside." The first time Naruto visited the Capital... well, after leaving his village, he simply placed the stares what he received with Tatsumi into the back of his head. Now that he thinks back, everyone must have thought that they were bumpkins.

"Hm? You are from the countryside too?" The blue-haired man asked. He seemed much more friendly after he learned this piece of information about Naruto. "I'm from a small town on the coast of the empire. Born and raised."

"Hooo? I'm from a small village near the mountains. Comparing the difference in the weather, it was quite a change. First time visitor?" Talking with the person in front of him did not gave him the typical danger feeling when he speaks to others in the Capital. Naruto was sure that he is kindhearted and not corrupted by the Empire.

"Yes, I got promoted, so I had to leave my hometown. The name is Wave." The blue-haired man extended his out to Naruto, who gladly shook it.

"Naruto. Nice to meet you! Sorry again for crashing into you back there."

"The pleasure is mine, and don't sweat it. I was daydreaming as well. I should have seen you coming."

"Well, this brings back memories. More than a month ago when I've arrived here, I couldn't take my eyes away from the huge buildings at first." Than came the urge to eat ramen and Leone stealing all of their money, but he kept that to himself. "I guess I'll go now. Careful, you can easily get lost especially at night."

"Don't worry. I have a map that shows my destination right here..." Wave reached down to one of the pockets on his jacket but a look of surprise appeared on his face. "Then right here..." He repeated as he now tried another pocket. "Here...?" Another pocket. But no such luck.

.

.

.

"Huh?" The wind has died down. Wave was speechless.

.

.

.

"Erm... Could it be that..." Naruto said slowly as he pointed back to where he crashed into Wave.

"Yeah..." He nodded. The map must have slipped out of his pocket and got blown away by the wind to who knows where. "Crap, guess I have to ask the people for direction. How am I going to get to the special police conference room on time?"

"Special Police?" The pieces of the puzzle started to appear inside Naruto's head. Then it reacted. His Shingu was glowing bright blue._ 'Don't tell me...'_ Then he spotted the sword on Wave's hip. Taking a closer look, it was not an ordinary sword. It was a Teigu. What could a guy like Wave possibly do with the corrupted Special Police? Should he ask? That would be suspicious.

"Anyway, I should go before my future superior scolds me..." Wave told Naruto with a sweatdrop as he turned around.

_'Think, Naruto... Think!'_ He can't let Wave go. He could be a possible enemy in the future. But at first glance, he is nothing like the corrupted people here._ 'But Seryu was just like this...'_ He thought. Seryu was kind at first, then he learned that she was twisted from Mine. He can't let Wave go, even if he have to fight him.

"Wait, Wave!" He called out to him with one hand behind him, reaching for a hidden knife. Even if the people were around them, he can't let something like on the Ryuusen happen again. What if Wave kills Tatsumi, Leone or anyone else in the future... But killing Wave, who didn't do anything so far would make him a corrupted and twisted man. What should he do?

"Y-Yes, Naruto? Sorry but I need to go now."

"I can show you the way if you want." Naruto said in a hurry... Way too fast if he think back. Though he does know where the Special Police is located. He once went pass in front of it in the past. But now, Wave's answer will determine what Naruto will do next. If he refuses, Naruto won't have a choice but do something drastic... But a part of him screams to not do it.

"Really?! That would be great! Thanks a lot." Wave exclaimed, making Naruto tilt his head in surprise. The blue-haired man did not suspect a thing and said yes without even hesitating. Were Naruto and Tatsumi like this in the beginning?

"No problem. It's actually not that far from here." He shook his head.

The two then began to walk down the main street, first doing some small talks than later speaking casually. Wave was almost exactly like Tatsumi personality wise, so it wasn't that hard to open up to him. The blue-haired young man however was nervous at first, not knowing why Naruto talk to him so openly. When Wave asked him why did he decide to help him, the blond just said that he reminded him of his friend. It wasn't completely a lie, but telling him the main reason would be just plain stupid.

"Also, I saw your Teigu and I got curious."

And he did just that. He still can't look into someone's eyes and tell them a completely different story. But Lubbock have taught him how to choose his words carefully.

"Wha-? You can tell that this is a Teigu?" Wave dryly commented with a deadpanned look on his face. "That's quite suspicious you know..." He looked down to the black shortsword.

"I can sure as hell see that sword is unique. I've also seen other Teigus in the past..." Naruto looked down with a sad look on his face. Sure, he can't tell Wave about Murasame, Incursio or any other Teigu. "My life is not exactly a happy one..." He whispered to himself but it was loud enough for Wave to hear it. "Anyway, what are you planning to do with all of those seafood?" He pointed to the bag of fish with the sign of _'Fish City'_ on it.

"My Mom gave this to me as a memento. Well, it was pretty much forced upon me, but I'm a Man of the Sea who grew up eating seafood most of the time while fighting pirates." Wave said proudly and puffed out his chest.

"Hm? Pirates? Is it that bad on the coast of the Empire?" Naruto assumed that it was just like in here the Capital. Bandits, thugs, robbers, kidnappers and this list goes on.

"Of course not. Most of them were just jokes. They didn't even know how to handle a ship. The people were happy in my hometown without anyone being afraid from them. Like here, well... except the stares." Wave said as he looked around. Most of the people were smiling around them, doing their everyday job just like in his small town.

"..." But Naruto remained silent as his expression turned angry. Looking forward with eyes showing no emotions, he remembered that he used to think the same. How everyone was happy in the Capital and everything.

"Ummm. Naruto? Was it something I said? Your face is scary." The blue-haired Teigu user stuttered as he felt the killing intent coming from Naruto. For a second there, he thought that the blond was about to attack him.

"Wave..." Naruto slowly turned his head to the right to look him in the eyes. "...This place is hell." He said it with no emotion in his voice.

"H-Hell, you say?" Wave slowed down a bit. "Wait, it can't be that bad!" Naruto remained silent before pointing to an alley.

"Let's take a detour and give me 10 minutes. Then you'll see." The blond then took a quick turn to the left and walked into the alleyway, leaving a confused Wave behind.

"Hey, wait!" Then he quickly followed him. Right now, Naruto is his only chance to get to his destination. "What do you mean by _'Hell'_?"

The two continued to walk down the long alleyway.

"Exactly as that. The people are starving." Naruto pointed to the right where a poor young boy sat in a corner with a cracked pot in front of him, begging for money. Even if Naruto forgot his wallet at home, he always has a few coins inside one of his black high collar jacket's pocket. He grabbed a coin and place it in the pot without waiting for the young boy to thank him. Wave just looked at the poor boy with a shocked expression.

"People are killing each other to survive." After a couple meters, he pointed to his left where a corpse of an adult man was located. A knife was sticking out of his chest. Wave just followed Naruto silently with his hair shadowing his eyes.

"And-"

"Kyaaaa!" Before Naruto could finish, a scream belonging to a woman echoed through the alleyway, making Wave's blood run cold.

"...People do as they please."

Not far from the two, a lone woman got thrown to the ground as she tried to get away from the men around her. She got assaulted a second ago when she tried to leave her home. Seven _hungry_ looking men appeared in front of her and pushed her down. The reason what they are going to do was obvious.

"T-They are trying to... in broad daylight?!" Wave said, trying not to think of what the men are about to do.

The young woman was trying to get away, but it was impossible for her. She didn't have the strength to get out.

"Hooo! Look at her, Boss. Ain't she a fine catch?!" One of the thugs said as he licked his lips.

"Yes, she is. Now give me some space!" A rather tall and muscular man with a smug look stepped forward. He ordered the others to stay away until he finishes. "The first round is mine!" He grinned as he reached forward to tear off the woman's clothes before-

"HEY!"  
"HEY!"

The thug looked back to see who dared to interrupt him but the only thing what came into his view were two fists what connected with his face a moment later, sending him into the wall unconscious. As the thug's underlings noticed what happened, it was already too late and their Boos has already paid the price.

As their surprise disappeared, they saw two person standing with clenched fists. As the wind blowed away their hair from their faces, it revealed their eyes full of anger.

"Looks like we've determined to interrupt." Naruto said in a cold tone next to Wave.

"Those who dares to humiliate a woman deserves a good beating." Wave said in an equally cold voice.

The woman, seeing that she was saved crawled back to a nearby corner and placed her head on her knees, still shocked about what would have happened to her.

"H-How dare you do that to our Boss?!" One of the underlings yelled as he shot forward to punch Naruto and Wave to death with his friends soon following him. "You have guts to disrupt our fun!"

***Grab***

But soon as the fist got close to Naruto, the blond simply put up his hand and stopped the attack.

"Yo..." Naruto welcomed the now surprised thug with an emotionless face and voice. "Just now, did you say _'fun'_...?" His tone even sent shivers down on Wave's spine. The boy was left frozen from the blond's sudden change. "Prepare to die, bastards..."

***Snap***

With a simple pull, Naruto dislocated the man's wrist and bent his hand back to his forearm. "Because you can't find _'mercy'_ in my dictionary!" As the thug let out a loud scream, Naruto stepped forward and planted his feet in the man's stomach and sent him into the nearest wall.

Wave and the blond didn't hesitate in obliging. Lunging forward, both threw a quick right jab, punching the first thug what came in their way. Naruto stopped the second thug's incoming fist with one hand, grabbed him and threw him to the ground with face forward.

Wave dodged and smacked away one of the thugs attack and threw another jab, followed by a feint. The opponent of course, fell for it and come face to face with a powerful punch.

It didn't take the two long to dispose all of them without getting a scratch.

As the tension died down and all the thugs were unconscious, Wave walked up to the young woman to help her as much as he could while Naruto made sure to tie the thugs up tightly with a wire what Lubbock gave him. After all these times seeing what corrupted people do, he wanted to kill them since he knew they won't stop after a simple beating. But he can't kill them with Wave around.

10 minutes later, the woman left, thanking Wave and Naruto in a hurry. She was still shocked. The two stayed silent for a brief amount of time until Naruto decided to speak up. "You see now?" He said in a low voice.

Wave just looked down, not sure about what to do. "How can people fall so low..."

"I blame the Empire for all this." The blond said, shocking Wave.

"The whole Empire?!"

"The gap betweem nobles and normal civilians is too big. Money is the only thing people care about these days. The officials are no exeption. I learned all this last month."

"But blaming everyone is... You can't be so sure that everyone is like that!" Wave replied with anger. "I... was able to join the Navy due to the patronage of a certain great man. Everyone I know was kind to me back home." Wave looked at his Teigu. "Sorry, but I can't accept this..."

***Sigh***

Naruto sighed as he placed his hands on his hip. "I think we've got a difference of opinion then..."

"What about you? I mean, you sound like you want to change this? Are you a solider?" Wave pointed to Naruto's short sword on his hip. He assumed that he was a soldier because of all the knowledge he had about this.

"Me? No. In the past, I wanted to join the Empire, but that was before I realized what is happening on the streets. You can say that I'm some kind of a mercenary."

"...I see." Wave nodded. The two exited the alleyway, now walking on the street what will lead them to the Special Police. A couple more steps and they were already right in front of the building.

It was guarded by two people who wanted to know why they were here. Wave was about to search for the letter but he remembered that it was together with the map, meaning that if he lost the map, it's pretty sure the letter went along with it.

"If you can't prove why you are here, then get lost. This isn't a place where kids like you usually enter." One of the guard said, slightly pissing Wave off.

"Ummm... Well, I had the invitation with me... but..."

"Ehhh? Didn't you hear? Scram before we arrest you for disturbing our work!"

_'What work?! You are just standing here, doing nothing!'_ Wave shouted inside his head.

"Don't worry, sir. We came here because there is meeting in the conference room we have to attend. I'm sure we are not the only ones who are here for that." Naruto placed his hands on Wave's shoulders from behind him and smiled at the guards, obviously taking a risk. Now that Naruto is here. He need more information about this meeting Wave was talking about. How many are attending it? And who is their leader? He will just take a quick peek before he leave.

The gamble was a success. The two guards immediately stiffened and saluted.

"M-My apologize for my rudeness, you sirs. We didn't know that you are here for that meeting." The previously rude guard was now apologizing with all his might.

However, the second guard still didn't understand what was going on.

As Wave and Naruto passed through the front door, the rude guard leaned down to him.

"Idiot. They are here to attend Esdeath-sama's meeting."

That was the only thing Naruto heard before the double door closed behind him.

_'Esdeath?'_

"Naruto... I appreciate your help and everything but... Why are you here?" Wave asked with a sweatdrop. "If someone finds out about this, they will seriously arrest you."

"Hah...Haha... I just went with the flow." He laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head. "You are right, I guess I will go to the toilet or something and get out from the window..." He did it this time. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Wave. And thanks for the assist back in the alleyway." This time, Naruto was the one who reached out to Wave.

"No problem. We make a good team!" Wave gladly shook his hand. "I hope we meet again!"

The two parted, with Wave going up the stairs and Naruto going into the rest room.

The blond waited a good 10 minutes before he exited the toilet and followed Wave up the stairs. Now that he is here, he might as well get some information about this meeting. He can detect the killing intents and Teigus and can still use his Shingu twice. Naruto can get out safely if things go south.

Up on the first floor, Naruto could easily feel Wave's Teigu at the end of the hallway to his right. His luck finally kicked in as the door was wide open._ 'Alright, let's do this super stealthy!'_ He grinned, walking closer and closer to the door while hiding his presence.

He peeked carefully, not letting anyone see him. Inside the room were possibly five or six people. He could only see three. _'What the?!'_ He spotted a tall man with a mask who could easily scare him to death if he would meet him in a dark alley at night. He got goose bumps after looking at the man for too long. _'He is scary...'_

He looked to the left and saw a man with glasses who looked like a half-successful doctor. He gave off a strange vibe like Bulat with the only difference that he constantly wiped his hair to the side with his hand. _'Ahh! Doctor Do-No-Harm!'_ He lost all of his interest as he imagined roses flying around him with a rainbow decorating the background.

Naruto was unable to take it anymore. If he would continue to look, he will certainly gave off his position._ 'Oh, well. This is more than nothing.'_ He thought as he turned around in a hurry. _'Now I can finally leav-'_

But something was off.

Why was a person standing behind him, wearing a mask? The two just stared at each other for a few seconds what felt like eternity. This person's presence was cold... Something Naruto have never felt before.

"Haha... Umm... Please don't kill me?"

***Kick!***

The mysterious person kicked Naruto inside the room, making him rool on the ground a couple times before becoming one with the wall.

Everyone inside the room looked at the fallen blond, whose soul nearly escaped from his mouth with a white flag.

"What?!" Wave was the one who exclaimed after seeing Naruto on the ground.

"I don't recognize any of you! What are you doing in this room?!" The woman who previously eliminated Naruto with a single kick pointed a finger at the others inside the room. Naruto was still counting the stars around his head, so it was hard to see anything else.

"Hey now." Wave was the first one to speak up. "We were called here for a special as-" But he too got kicked in a blink of an eye, landing next to Naruto in the same position. "How did you... get here?" Wave grunted as he tried to ease the pain what the kick have caused.

"Lost on the... Road of Life...?" When he finally came to his senses, Naruto saw that the other people in the room have started to fight against the woman with light blue hair. _'Is she...'_ The blond questioned inside his head. The woman attacked a young man with lightning fast kicks, not giving him any chance to fight back. What should he do now? He have to get out.

Naruto looked around him. The window is too far and the scary-looking man is between it and him, the only other way is through the door... But the blue-haired woman is in his way.

"Tch... Fine." He got up from the floor and unsheated his short sword. Two times. He only have two times before his Shingu will start to get out of control.

A moment later, the blue-haired woman's opponent stepped back, creating a chance for Naruto to attack and leave.

"Haa!" Naruto jumped up into the air right above the young woman, targeting her neck. The blade drawn an arc so it intersect right on the enemy.

The enemy, seeing this immediately looked up and stepped back to avoid the blade.

But that was the moment Naruto used his Shingu. Embracing the blue light, he quickly redirected the blade, not giving any chance to the woman to get away. The blade was inches away from her mask. No person can come out unscathed after being this close to the sword.

But...

The enemy simply smacked away the blade like it was nothing but a stick in a matter of miliseconds. She easily deflected Naruto's attack.

However, the blond already had what he wanted. A chance. He shot forward, running past the woman and out the door. That was the plan._ 'Are you kidding?'_ But the blue-haired woman was right in front of him again._ 'When did she move?'_

The enemy closes in on her opponent. But Naruto charge forward. A kick approaches his head.

***#¤X&amp;***

"Kuh..." This is the second time. Naruto used his Shingu again and dodged the kick, tilting his head to the right. With his incredible speed, he got right in front of the woman. With his shortsword in his hand, he slashed at her middle section faster than the normal eye can see.

"Wha-?!"

But the blade was no longer there. Only a piece of ice was present on the weapon's hilt but other than that, nothing was there in Naruto's hand. He froze in front of the woman._ 'Ice? Then she is really...'_

"Interesting..." She said while placing one of her hand on the mask, removing it. Between her left arm's fingers was the short sword's blade in a piece of ice.

_'Esdeath?!'_

Naruto dropped the hilt of his weapon. He made a wrong choice by going up here to see the meeting. He is an uninvited guest. And Esdeath knows this. He will die. He will seriously die. He regretted all of this. He should have jump out the window. The pressure what was coming from Esdeath was slowly pushing him down to the floor. The slender woman with long light blue hair and blue eyes looked at him like a predator.

_'I'm dead.'_

Esdeath stepped closer to the still stunned Naruto...

_'I'm dead...'_ He repeated.

...Then she walked past him.

"It's seems that all seven are here..." She said in an amused tone.

"Ge-General Esdeath!" The guy with the scary mask shouted as he saw her face.

Naruto still refused to move while facing the door where he wanted to escape.

"Wait just a second, seven? I thought it was six." The doctor wannabe said as he got up from his seat, eyeing Naruto with great interest.

"The Prime Minister changed the number at the last minute. I personally approved of the seventh member... but I was told to hunt him down first, not to find him with everyone else."

.

.

.

_'Wait...'_ Naruto felt like his brain will explode._ 'Wait a minute. What is this?!'_ He asked himself as he looked back to Esdeath. _'I don't get it...'_

"Just to make things clear. What is your name?" Esdeath asked Naruto.

Just by her look, Naruto understood that he have to answer her question... and if he dare to lie, she _will_ kill him. The blond completely turned around, now facing the blue-haired woman.

"Na-Naruto..." His eyes were wide open.

"Naruto... I see. Well, the name is the same. Everyone is here," She turned back to the others.

_'Same... Name? What is going on?! What is this?! I have to get out of here...'_ But then it hit him... he can't. _'She'll kill me if I run...'_ He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. _'What the hell is going on here?'_

***Thud!***

A loud noise interrupted him. It was like something have fallen to the floor. When he opened his eyes, he saw several candies rolling up to his black combat boots. He followed the candies with his eyes to a nearby table where he saw a full bag of them on the floor. Next to the bag, he spotted a pair of legs. A person who was sitting on a chair dropped the bag.

Naruto raised his head... slowly. A young woman with black hair and black eyes stared at Naruto in shock. Her hands were still in the same position when she held the bag with one hand and one candy with the other. The candy she dropped was on the table and the bag was below her.

The girls eyes, face... her whole facial structure reminded Naruto of Akame. Even a katana was on her hip. But she can't be Akame...

"Naru...to...?" The girl spoke with a shaky voice.

At first, Naruto was at a loss for words. During the month after he joined Night Raid, he saw many a dream where he met _her_ again. This isn't an illusion cast upon him by Zank. This isn't a nightmare what drives him crazy. He scolded himself for his weakness.

But if...

He always thought that if he did meet her again after all these years, there was something he had to say. Naruto forgot about the confusion regarding his situation with Esdeath. He forgot everything, except that one thing he needed to say. He had rehearsed the one, simple word over and over in his heart.

Then a sad, faint smile carved on his lips.

"Sorry..."

The little girl who had now bloomed into a young woman looked at Naruto with hollow eyes after hearing his apology. She flinched at his word.

.

.

Then she stood up with a hand on her katana's hilt.

Time froze for Naruto as the girl started to walk up to him with closed eyes. The entire world had disappeared, barring only the girl who had just grabbed her weapon.

Naruto's smile remained.

That's right. He failed to protect her. He left her... Just as her sister a few years later. She was all alone. He should have been there.

Therefore...

If she decided to finish him because of his unkept promise... Then he will gladly accept death. He even lost most of his memories of her. She has every right to end him. Naruto cursed the Empire.

Three steps and she will reach him.

Naruto closed his eyes.

***Thud***

But his eyes have quickly opened again. A cold blade piercing his heart. That is the sensation what he expected. But he received something else.

Cold, shaking arms wrapped around him. His eyes were now wide open. She hugged him. He could feel her shaking body like she had just taken a cold shower. Her lowered head is resting on his chest with her hair covering her eyes. The girl was unable to do it. No matter the circumstances, she would have never been able to do it.

Because she was too happy.

An unknown force pulled at Naruto's arm. Her hair was soft when he petted her. "I'm sorry... Kurome." He repeated.

"You returned..." She whispered, making his sadness come to a halt. That was all she could say before pulling away and giving him a smile. Not a fake one... or a forced one... but a true, bright smile what he had never seen before.

***Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!***

"Okay, you two can have your reuinion later. But first, some of you have to introduce yourselves to our late arrival." Esdeath clapped her hands as she looked at the others.

This was the moment when Wave regained his consciousness.

"That hurt..." He looked up in surprise, not hearing the fight anymore. Then he spotted Esdeath and a chill run down his spine. _'Even the boss is a weird one!'_ He thought as he placed a hand on his stomach while trying to get up. He heard that the others are introducing themselves again but to who, he had no idea.

Then he saw him. Naruto was in the center of attention as Kurome was standing near him._ 'Naruto? What is he doing here?'_ A question mark appeared above Wave's head as he tilted his head. "My head... Naruto?" He said it out loud.

"You two know each other? Perfect, than that makes things easier." Esdeath said as she walked to the door. "Now that we are done here, let us proceed and change our attire." She finished as she walked out the door with the others except Naruto, Kurome and a confused Wave.

"Ummm... What just happened? Did I miss something here, Naruto?"

The blond gave him a confused look as he shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine, but I'm planning to get to the bottom of this..." He said... not to Wave but to himself.

Feeling a slight pull on his left sleeve, Naruto looked to the side, seeing Kurome urging him to go. "Let's go." She said.

"Wait? So you are with us now?" Wave blinked once then twice.

"Seems like it..."

Now he is in trouble. He can't go back to Night Raid without blowing his cover... or whatever keeps the others from finding out his real identity. He is alive because Esdeath somehow knows his name... How or why... It's a mistery to him. But he can't stay here. Everyone is waiting for him back at headquarters. Akame, Leone, Tatsumi and the others...

But wait.

This is his chance. It still doesn't feel real that Kurome is beside him, but now is the time to try and convince her to leave the Empire. That's right. He promised to Akame. He let down Kurome in the past with his unfulfilled promise... But now he can protect her again and he can keep his promise to Akame.

And while he is here... He can gather information for the others. He can't go back to Night Raid without Esdeath not suspecting anything, but he can go to Lubba's bookstore and inform him about what happened.

_'And I'll do just that...'_

* * *

**Two Hours Later.**  
**Palace.**  
**Courtyard.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

"Were you surprised by my little game?" Esdeath asked the others as she walked at the front.

Everyone now wore a completely black suit. Naruto wasn't exactly happy to change back to the monkey-suit but he couldn't refuse it. He have to act normal.

He already talked with the others. The first one is a calm, collective, and polite young man near his age blond hair and golden eyes, Run. It was surprisingly easy to get along with him even with a few small talks. Naruto had no problems with him and he seemed nice enough. But then again, he can't bee too sure after Aria.

The second was the man wearing the mask what gives him the creeps. His name is Bols. Naruto's jaw nearly dropped when he found out that despite the man's grizzly appearance, he is extremely shy and timid around strangers. A kind giant, Naruto remarked. It was also easy to get along with him.

Then came the crazy Dr. Do-No-Harm. Naruto could swear he saw stars in his eyes when he first talked with him. Dr. Stylish. He was a smiple man... Well, not normally simple but he is obsessed with two things. His experiments and anything he considered stylish. Dr. Stylish even commented the red part of Naruto's hair incredibly beautiful since he too had a white patch in his spiky black hair. It felt like Naruto had seen him before... but he wasn't sure about it.

And last but not least. Seryu. He was devastated to see her as a new partner. He wanted to avoid her, but he had to talk to her because she recognized him from the time when he was lost in the Capital. Naruto had to fight down the urge to attack her. She did kill Sheele.

And also, there was Kurome. He didn't really had time to talk with her, but he is planning to do that tonight after this. His mind is only an inch away from shutting down thanks to the previous couple hours.

One thing was still bothering him. The reason why he is here. Everyone else except him has a Teigu. So why is he here?

"Much better than the usually boring welcoming reception, doesn't it?" Esdeath continued.

"I'm used to being treated rough." Wave commented with a sigh as he walked next to Naruto.

"Okay! We'll have a party after out audience with his Majesty."

Naruto's eyes widened. He is going to meet the Emperor? Than that means he will see the Prime Minister, the man who is responsible to all the sufferings. He prayed for his own sanity. Naruto had to compose himself.

"Esdeath-sama, before that... Shouldn't we decide on a name for our team?" Stylish said from the sideline, making the blue-haired woman smirk.

"Indeed! We are a unique force within the military. Organized and tasked to mercilessly hunt down and eliminate atrocious groups of enemies... Therefore..." She looked up to the sky, seeing a bird of prey flying away. "We will be the Special Police Force."

"...Known as Jägers."

_'God, wherever you are... just let me survive this and go home to the others...'_ Naruto grit his teeth.

* * *

**Jägers: 8 Members Remaining.**

**Chapter 8: END.**

**In Chapter 9: Kill Your Purpose.**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Can't believe I'm acting as a ****Jäger now... I have to disappear fast!"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"This is my... Teigu?"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Trust me, Leone. I told you, didn't I? I won't let you down!"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Gaah! She kidnapped Tatsumi!"**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Hey Everyone! New chapter here. Thank you for all the support as always! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in a pm.  
**

**Note#1: When I realized, I've already reached 14k words even though the chapter was less than half-complete. I had no other choice but to cut it in half and end it in quite an unsatisfying way. (I can ******already **feel the cookies running away from me.)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Dining Room.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

***Tick***

***Tack***

***Tick***

***Tack***

Silence.

Not even the smallest of sounds could be heard within the dining room except the clock what was ticking furiously as the time passed by. Everyone is sitting at the table minus two people. One of them was absent for a reason, since she told them her plan is to deliver the already recovered Teigus back to the Revolutionary Army's main base and get new members to join them.

Najenda left Akame in charge after she went out.

But a certain blond's absent made the others uneasy...

"He is late..." Leone broke the long silence of the room with her worried voice as she leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were narrowed and fixed on the still untouched food in front of her.

Lubbock, Akame and Tatsumi immediately nodded as they turned to the empty spot at the end of the table. Akame even prepared three big bowl of ramens for Naruto, yet they are getting colder and colder by the second without anyone eating them. The atmosphere changed as soon as he wasn't there to joke around.

"It's not like him to miss his daily ramen..." Tatsumi tried to turn this sentence into a joke but half-way to the end, his tone reverted back to a gloomy one. True, Naruto would even tear down the whole Empire with bare hands just to eat his favorite food...

_'Food of the Gods'_, he used to say.

"What's with this sudden change in everyone's mood? It's not like he is dead or anything..." Mine sighed as her stomach signaled that it's time to fill it. It wasn't really lady-like but with everyone all depressed, this certain act ended without anyone noticing it.

"I know that I made him clean the bookstore inside the Capital, but he should have done it by now. There wasn't much to do." Lubbock placed a finger on his chin as he began to think what could have cause him to stay back.

"Anyway, my food is getting cold." Mine picked up the fork and the knife next to her plate. "It's his fault for being late, so I don't see the reason why we should wait any further."

Soon, everyone else followed her example with the exception of Akame, who still stared at the empty spot next to her.

"Naruto... Where are you..." A sudden bad feeling began to develop inside her head. Losing Bulat was painful enough... But losing Naruto after he said those hopeful and kind words to her... She would...

* * *

**Meanwhile.**  
**Imperial Palace.**  
**Audience Room.**

* * *

***Creeeaaak***

The huge double door leading to the Audience Room got opened by two imperial guards, making the path clear for the Jägers to set foot inside.

The first one to enter was Esdeath, the leader of the Jägers who after noticing the gaze of the Emperor and the Prime Minister, took off her cap and kneeled down with her eyes closed.

"We have arrived, Your Majesty." A small smile formed on her lips as the other members of the team stepped inside the huge room.

First it was Dr. Stylish, followed by Seryu, Bols, Run, Kurome, Wave, then a spaced-out Naruto who was still shocked how fancy the Palace looked. The blond kept looking to his left and right, eyeing all the shiny objects. His eyes nearly popped out as he imagined that his whole village could have a big feast just by selling a piece of that marble pillar.

_'Money sure makes a difference...'_ He remarked quietly as a sweatdrop rolled down on his cheek. Just as he finished this thought, his stomach decided to growl. Now that Naruto thinks about it, he missed lunch and as things are now, he surely won't see any food in the next few hours.

"Hmm?" The blond returned from his daydreams when all the others decided to follow their leader's example and kneeled down on the floor._ 'Right, respect and all that...'_ Naruto looked serious for a moment, ready to lower himself down...

But he stopped immediately when his eyes spotted the supposed-to-be Emperor and Prime Minister.

_'Wait...'_

Slowly as if the whole world stopped, he took in their features and apparences. A large, tall man with amber eyes and long grey hair and beard, as well as a mustache. A tray full of sweets in his hands and a mischievous smile on his face... It wasn't a question to him that he was the Prime Minister.

Then the Emperor. There he sat with green shoulder-length hair, green eyes with a golden scepter in his hands. The only problem was that...

_'He is kid?!'_ He remembered Najenda telling him that the Emperor is young... But this young?_ 'How can a kid even handle the Empire's __military and political duties?'_ Then he looked back to the man standing behind him, filling his seemingly limitless stomach. _'Oh, that's how...'_

However...

This wasn't the time to think about such things. Naruto looked around to see that nearly everyone were on their knees now. If he doesn't hurry, he will stand out too much, risking that someone will find out the truth about him being an assassin.

_'Damn it, I'm supposed to kneel in front of the bastard who caused thousands of people's death?!'_ He grit his teeth as hard as he could. He really doesn't want to do this. This is basically as if he were to lick the bastard's boots.

_'Fuck!'_

***Thud***

But he forced himself down to the ground without anyone noticing anything strange. His eyes stared at the floor and his now clenched right fist. Thank God Wave was covering his angry face from being seen by the others.

If it weren't for Akame's technique to seal away the emotions and killing intent for a limited amount of time, Naruto's anger would have immediately been recognized by Esdeath or someone else.

"I see that everyone is here safe and sound, General Esdeath." The Emperor said while sitting on the throne. "I assume that you have found the extra member for your group, considering that there are seven subordinates behind you." The child looked directly at Naruto, who even if he had his head lowered, still felt his piercing gaze. The blond noted inside his head that though the Emperor is just a kid, he really does have the attitude required for the position.

"Yes, Your Majesty. He happened to know three of the other members, thus making it easier for us to cross paths." This part of the conversation was still foggy to Naruto. While he did know Kurome, Wave and he also met Seryu before, he had no idea why he was selected to join the Jägers.

"Oooh, that's wonderful!" The Prime Minister spoke up in a happy tone. "I know that we already have information about everyone, but how about a nice little introduction, hmm?" The man ran his fingers through his beard.

"I see no problem with that." Esdeath said as she looked back. "Then..." Her gaze fell to Wave first, who immediately tensed up before standing to his feet.

As Naruto listened to the introductions followed by the Prime Minister saying something good about them from some papers, he couldn't help but wonder what the bastard said a minute ago._ 'Did he just say that he has information about everyone?!' _He must have meant_ 'almost'_ but saying _'everyone'_ was probably more fancy.

"Alright, the last one then."

Faster than a blink of an eye, it was his turn to stand up. Naruto grit his teeth as he summoned all of his might to keep his expression normal and neutral. Though he is seriously one step away from going up there and...

Everyone looked at him. If this would have happened a month ago, he would have surely blown his cover by now. But Lubbock taught him how to handle a situation like this. Though he prefers not to lie, right now he doesn't have a choice but to do so.

"M-My name is Naruto. I came from a far away village up in the mountains. I like my friends, my favorite food and I also like to train myself to become stronger for the sake of the people I cherish. My dream is to earn money and restore my village back to how it was in my childhood. I'll do my best to serve the Empire." Naruto remained as less specific as possible, not saying the name of his village and all that. He also cut out his dislikes part, it wouldn't have been wise to say that he hates the Empire and aims to kill the people responsible for its current state.

He answered several other questions with a fake smile on his face what only a certain other blonde man could recognize.

"I see I see..." The Prime Minister looked through the papers as if reading Naruto's data. But that's impossible.

The Prime Minister didn't even listen to what he said.

"Well then, I wish you good luck to eliminate Night Raid and bring our country to glory, General Esdeath. As you asked, we cleaned the new headquarters inside the palace so all of you are free to move in. You are dismissed." The Emperor said.

Esdeath along with everyone else stood up and turned around to leave through the double door what the guards opened again. With his back now facing the Prime Minister, Naruto sighed. He thought that things would hardly go this smooth.

_'The kneeling part was terrible but I expected something else.'_ A small victory smile formed on his face.

Naruto was the last one to step out of the Audience Room but when he looked around the hallway, he could only see Wave's and Kurome's leaving figure. The rest of the Jägers have already left.

"Damn, they are fast..." He whispered under his breath.

"Oh, and one more thing, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto stopped as he felt a sudden chill running down his spine. The double door behind him was still half-open, so he assumed that the Prime Minister wants to say something.

Then it hit him. Naruto never told the bastard his full name. His eyes shot wide open as he lifted his head up.

Time slowed down as he began to turn around with a shocked expression.

"It was nice seeing you again. I have high expectations from you, considering that I can already see your father in you. Fufufu."

As his head turned around, Naruto's shocked expression changed into a horrified one. His mouth slightly opened as he saw the grin the Prime Minister is giving him. Considering that he is standing high up with the Emperor and him down on the floor and already out of the room, Naruto felt like a simple insect.

The blond was unable to handle all the words he just told him. Everything got taken over by darkness, leaving only him, the Prime Minister and the closing door clear.

The Minister's grin grew bigger when he set eyes on Naruto's terrified face. He laughed inside his head.

Unknown to Naruto, his right eye has began to turn red from the influence of his Shingu, just like when he found out what Aria did to his friends.

As the doors were about to close...

"**h**E**y**!" He yelled and started to run back to the Audience Room. He was unable to understand what he said to him and why, so he reacted out of pure instincts and focused on his anger.

***Bamm***

But the doors closed before he could get inside. The last thing he saw was the Prime Minister's grin.

"Oh, you made him angry." The child Emperor looked a bit worried at the Minister, asking why he did do such a thing.

"Fufufu. Don't worry, Makoto." He smiled as he looked back to the now closed door. "_It_ looked so troubled back there that I thought maybe it was time to release some steam. There is nothing to be worried about." He reassured him.

"Hmmm, I see. But you said that_ 'It was nice seeing you again.'_." The child questioned.

"Because it's true, I've know the poor thing since _it_ was a toddler." A strange aura surrounded the Prime Minister and his smiling face. "I took really good care of the boy, but it seems like _it_ has forgotten about me. It's so sad..."

"..._It_?"

**Outside.**

Naruto stood in front of the double door with both of his hands resting on it while his head was lowered. He couldn't stop breathing heavily. It was like his lungs could only take half the amount of oxigen they normally can.

He stared at the ground while the world was spinning around him. It took all of Naruto's might to stop himself from throwing up thanks to the sudden stress.

_'What... did he just say?!'_ The bastard told him that he resembles his father... And that means he knew him._ 'Who am I?!'_

"N-Naruto? What happened? I heard you shout..." Wave walked up to him with a concerned look but Naruto didn't answer. "Oi, are you alright?" He stepped closer to him.

"**w**H**a**T**?**" Naruto turned his still lowered head to the side to look at Wave who took a quick step back. His tone was much colder and a massive amount of killing intent rocketed away from his body.

"H-Hey... It's just me, you are scaring me man..." Wave brought up his hands in front of him, signaling for him to calm down.

"...Wave?" The redness from the blond's right eye disappeared and he regained himself. "Sorry, I should have recognized you." Though still panting heavily, he apologized for the killing intent.

"I-It's fine, don't worry about it. But what was that all about?" Even though it's been just a couple hours since the two've met, Wave seemed to be concerned about him like he was already his friend. It made Naruto confused but since Wave is a nice guy, he didn't have a problem calling him a friend... But that still won't make things easier when they will fight against each other when the time comes.

"Nothing, forget it." He waved it off with his right hand. "Anyway, I better find a bathroom before I puke, this monkey-suit is killing me." Not waiting for a reply, Naruto stormed off into the nearest bathroom as fast as he could.

He stepped up to the nearest sink and prepared to throw up from the stress, but nothing seemed to come out.

Several questions flew around inside his head. Did the Prime Minister find out that he is a member of Night Raid? No, that can't be. No matter who it is, he would execute anyone who has connections with them... at least that's the kind of vibe he is giving off.

The bastard knows him, that's for sure... but how?

Naruto stared at himself through the mirror, waiting to calm down.

_'He is playing with me... I just know it... Calm down.'_ He said to himself. _'He knows about the experiments, so he must have found out about me there... Yeah, that's it.'_

"Kuh..." Naruto grit his teeth as he pushed himself up from the clean sink. It was frustrating. He talked about this with Tatsumi, that no matter what he won't look after his parents and suffer more. Up until now, he thought that they just left him at his village but then it turned out he is from the Capital... And if the Prime Minister knew his father, then either he was an important person in the Imperial Army's or Politics' life... Or he was one of his victims.

But right now he can't do anything. He is deep inside enemy territory. They will kill him before he could even open the door to the Audience Room. The only thing he can do is to endure it.

***Punch!***

Naruto raised his right fist up and punched himself hard in the face. His teeth tore into his lower lip, resulting in a small amount of blood coming out of his mouth.

"Alright! I'm focused now." He smirked as he looked into the mirror.

Turning the tap on, he let the water pour down to his hands before he washed his face. He lost this round, but when the revolution breaks out, he will pay him back for sure.

"Guess I spent enough time here." He mumbled as he pushed open the toilet's door and stepped out to the hallway.

The Emperor talked about some sort of new place where the Jägers can stay, so he might as well go there.

"Oh, Naruto." A surprised voice came from his right.

It didn't take long to find whose voice it was. Seryu was sitting on a chair next to the toilet door with one hand on her lap and another holding a stick-like toy. Her Teigu, Koro, was also there jumping up and down every once in a while to bite the toy but Seryu always pulled it up at the last moment.

"Seryu?" He was surprised yet again. He cursed his luck. Ever since she saw him again a couple hours ago, she was always around him. While on Seryu's side it looked like a normal conversation when they talked, on Naruto's side it was hell. He had to hold back his anger. She killed Sheele, that's not something he can forgive.

It was strange that she of all people have decided to speak with him first. This was one of the reasons why Naruto couldn't have his own proper conversation with Kurome, because Seryu was always around.

Then again, it's been only a few hours.

"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly but it seemed that the girl did not care about his attitude. Seryu stood up and smiled at him, barely noticing that Koro took the toy out of her hand.

"Wave told us you are not feeling well, so I came to see if you are alright now."

"That's nice and all, but you could have gone with the others. I bet you have more important things to do than just stay here, waiting for me." Naruto can't help but imagine Sheele standing behind the girl. He really can't act nicely around Seryu. "I don't need a babysitter."

"That's not true." The girl with auburn hair shook her head. Her expression wasn't angry but more like a cute pout if a normal person would see it... but for Naruto, it was just more irritating.

The blond arched an eyebrow as if not believing what she just said.

"I'm your teammate now, remember? Also, we've met before in the Capital, so it's better if I get to know you first instead of the others, right?"

A surprised look have taken over his previous disbelieving one as he looked at her._ 'That's actually... not a bad reason.'_ While she does have a point, Naruto won't be fooled by her kind and compassionate personality again.

From the report what Mine gave them, Seryu has a strong fixation upon "Justice" and is insane. It's ironic how the whole girl would change if he just flat out tell her about being a member of Night Raid right here and right now. Naruto could bet her expression would go through a complete change.

"Well, alright then... Let's get to know each other." Sarcastic comment number one. For the time being, Naruto will try to get as much information about her and the others as possible. Najenda told him that it's important to find not just one but as many weakpoints as possible. Not just physical weakpoints but mental ones too.

"Great!" The girl smiled. "Koro, let's go!" The dog-like Teigu raised its forefeet like a child raises his hands when his mother is about to pick him up. Seryu grabbed the Teigu and held it in her arms while walking next to Naruto.

"Since it was your idea, what do you want to know first?" The blond kept looking forward. This took her by surprise. Seryu looked up to the ceiling as they walked in the hallways, thinking about what she should ask.

"Hmm. My father taught me to ask only the basic things first, so..." She kept thinking.

_'How about: 'Do you like Justice'?'_ Naruto sweatdropped.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Eh...?" The current Seryu is seriously scaring him. Just how big the gap between her two personalities could be? "I'm 19 years old."

"Oh, I'm older than you by three years!" For good amount of time, the girl waited for him to ask his own question but after a while she turned her head to him, only to notice Naruto staring at her with an opened mouth and giving her a shocked look. "Hmm?" Seryu tilted her head.

_'I thought she was younger than me!'_ Naruto screamed inside his head. He quickly shook his head, time to get some intel. "Umm, I wanted to ask you this before... but you are a member of the Capital Guard Forces, right?" She nodded. "So will you continue to work there as well as here? Working in both places sure sounds hard."

It will be much easier for Night Raid to find her if she acts only under Esdeath.

"No, I chose to join the Jägers." She answered as both of them exited the hallway what lead to the Audience Room. "How about you? What were you doing up until now?"

Naruto paled. He feared that sooner or later it will come to this question again. He was lucky that Wave was naive and accepted without a question when he told him that he is some kind of a mercenary... but will she believe it too? Anyway, now he is in trouble. If he says something else like he was a chef and she mentions it out loud in front of Wave, then it will cause problems.

"Hmm..." Guess he doesn't have a choice. "You can say that I was some kind of mercenary inside the Capital. You know, helping the starving children and taking care of the bad guys like a superhero, stuff like that." In a way, that was true. Night Raid's job is to take care of the Capital's trashes and he does help the poor kids on the streets in his free time. Now he can only hope that this little lie will work.

"You mean to kill the evil-doers?" It seemed that Seryu bought the_ 'mercenary'_ thing.

"Yeah." This one is also true. "But it depends on the situation. If they are just simple thugs I'll beat them up. I'm actually well known in one of the districts for taking care of them." There were also several occasions when he played with the kids there to help them enjoy their normally painful life. He sure made them a happy memory to remember. "I know this will sound bad, but I usually get my money for living from the thugs and bandits." Okay, this one was also a lie.

Seryu shook her head. "No, you delivered them the justice they deserved." Her expression then suddenly changed. "But if I were you, I would have killed them already. _Evil-doers deserve no money nor mercy!_" Her face distorted into a warped and demented version of itself for a few seconds.

_'There it is... her other persona.'_

The aura, the grin, everything matches to Mine's report though this is the first time Naruto actually see it. It slightly hurt him how a usually kind girl turns into... well, this. One month ago he would have surely tried to convince her how twisted she was but he saw too much of the Empire by now. Naruto too have changed.

"Then it's my turn." He said, making her appearance revert back to how it was a minute ago. "Have you met the Prime Minister and the Emperor before? It sure took me by surprise that he was so young."

With a question like this, this conversation wasn't an every day let's-get-to-know-each-other kind of one.

"Only once. It was actually when I recommended you to the Capital Guard Forces. They've asked a couple of questions like how you look and where did we meet. I was unsure at first, but I answered anyway." She replied before a small smile found its way onto her face. "They must have placed you into the Jägers because of that!" Seryu said cheerfully.

Naruto on the other hand looked down, thinking. That made sense and also answered some of his questions. The Minister probably recognized him thanks to how Seryu described him. Then that means his cover is still untouched. Nobody knows about him being a member of Night Raid, only an ordinary human who helps people.

But still. The bastard must have a plan for him if he decided to put him into the Jägers. He doesn't have a Teigu while everyone else have one, so it was unnecessary for him to join.

There is also one more thing. He is now basically owes his life to Seryu in a way. Without her recommendation, Esdeath would have cut him up right there back at the Special Police for eavesdropping.

"Guess I should thank you."

"No no, it was nothing really."

The rest of their conversation went smoothly with much more normal questions and answers. The two soon went out into one of the Palace's open courtyards and walked through it before arriving at the front door of their soon to be base of operation. The Jägers received a part of the Palace for their base, so just like the Audience Room, everything looked fancy when Naruto and Seryu stepped inside.

It looked just like the inside of Night Raid. Then a sudden question appeared inside his head just like when he first set foot into the Night Raid Headquarters.

"Isn't this a bit too big for the eight of us?" While not directly inside the Palace, the building is still connected to it.

"Oh, you are back!" A voice came from their right as Wave exited the kitchen with an apron around his waist. "The Captain said that the two of you should choose your rooms and change your clothes back. She also said that the single room on the top floor is hers but feel free to choose from one of them on the other floors." Seryu nodded but Naruto closed his eyes and sniffed the air.

"Hmm, what is this smell?" The blond asked Wave who smiled proudly upon hearing the question.

"Me and Bols-san decided to use my memento what I got from my mother for dinner. Hope you like seafood!"

At this point, Naruto was too hungry to be picky. "Sure, I can live with fish... or whatever you throw at me." He grinned as he turned around and began to leave to move upstairs before Wave called out to him.

"Are you alright now?"

"How long until dinner?" The blond answered with a question to a question.

"Half an hour I guess."

"Then I'm good as new!" Naruto walked upstairs, leaving a sweatdropping Wave behind.

"If you say so..." Wave muttered.

* * *

**Second Floor.**  
**Naruto's Room.**

* * *

***Zip***

"Alright, now we are talking!" Naruto zipped up his black jeans and put on his new dark blue leather jacket what he found inside the wardrobe. It was almost like Wave's. He first thought that he entered his room by mistake, but after looking at it more carefully the jacket was in a more darker blue tone than the one Wave is wearing. He decided to keep his black jacket in a bag until he returns to Night Raid.

...

...

That made him stop.

He wished he could be with them. He wondered if they are looking for him by now. What if they think he is dead? Or worse, what if they think he betrayed them? Naruto shook his head and turned towards the balcony of his room. His room didn't have one in Night Raid so he might as well look outside.

***Shhh***

He pushed the glass door to the side and stepped outside. The Sun is just about to go down.

Naruto crossed his amrs, put them on the balcony's handrail and leaned on them, watching the sky. Just when he was about to get along well with everyone inside Night Raid, he had to be forced to go here. Hell, he even started to speak normally with Mine. His ocean-blue eyes wandered to a certain bright star as he wished good luck to the others.

_Unknown to him, a certain red-eyed girl looked outside the window from her room and stared at the same bright star, wishing the exact same thing to Naruto._

"Naruto?"

A feminine voice came from his left. Naruto looked to the side to see Kurome standing beside him with a sad smile as if asking if everything is alright.

"Kurome? How did you..."

The girl pointed back to the room. "Your door is open." To Naruto's embarrassment, his door was indeed completely open.

The blond looked down. "Guess I'm really out of it today..." He whispered to himself but it was loud enough for Kurome to hear.

"Are you alright? Wave told us you are not feeling well." She tilted her head to the side before bringing a bag full of sweets in front of his face. "You can have one if you want." Unlike her doped sweets, these ones were just ordinary cookies.

"He he he. Thanks!" He reached forward and took one out of the small bag and put it in his mouth. He was unsure whether to tell Kurome about what the Prime Minister said to him or not. Though he did make a promise to try to convince her to leave the Empire, so he might as well start now. "And also, I'm still not feeling well."

He is not going to lie to her and use some evil trick to persuade her. Naruto will tell her what he really think about the Empire. He won't get executed by just disliking it... right?

"What's wrong?"

"Before I tell you..." He pushed himself up from the handrail and turned around, now leaning on it with his back. "I'd like you to listen to what happened to me after the guards took me away from our cell. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now." This seemed to get Kurome's full attention. "As it is at the moment... I hate the Empire..." He wanted to get this out of the way first. It was strange how she never asked what happened to him. How is he still alive...

Kurome widened her eyes for a moment but did not say anything.

However, she wasn't the only one listening to the story. A certain blonde haired young man decided to stop near the door to Naruto's room. He closed his book and diverted his attention to the tale... Since he too could see how bad the Empire really is today.

"It's all foggy and unclear why they've taken me away, but when the guards told me I'm in the_ 'Lucky 20'_ I thought I will be moved to a different group. Instead, my luck ran out the moment they pulled me out of the cell." Naruto began to tell the story of what happened to him on the last day when he saw Kurome. "They threw me inside a room with 19 other children near my age and held us there while a couple of doctors checked if we were healthy enough."

It was only two days after the fight on the Ryuusen that he had a nightmare about how the whole _surgery_ ended.

"Then one by one... right in front of our eyes the guards grabbed one of us, put them on a big table with our limbs tied up and the doctors proceeded to experiment on us. We had to watch as the others died from either the intense pain or from the bad surgery itself. I was the last one in the line."

"I heard how they enjoyed it when we screamed, how they laughed at us." He then pushed his jacket to the side and pulled up his shirt, revealing the huge scar where his Shingu was placed. "This is how it looks now." Kurome looked at the scar on his chest with a worried face. She didn't see what was inside Naruto's chest, only the scar. "I'm the only one who survived. How, I don't know..."

Then Naruto told her the rest of the story about how they threw him out to the streets and how he got found by a man who took him to his village. The young girl listened to him without asking a single question, something what made Naruto much more nervous. The blond left out the unnecessary details like his friends and training. This conversation is not about Tatsumi, Sayo or anyone else.

"Then came the Prime Minister today. He was the one who planned the experiments. When I was about to leave the Audience Room he called out to me and said that it's been a while since he last saw me. He even made fun of me by mentioning my unknown father who he probably killed in the past." Naruto looked down as everything came back to him, the pain, the stress, the sadness, everything. "That's why..."

***Pat***

"Eh?" Before he knew it, Kurome reached out and patted his head.

"Naruto, am I still your friend?" She asked.

"O-Of course!"

"Then since you are my friend too, I'll protect you from him..." She smiled though her voice had no emotion.

In a way, Naruto knew that right now Kurome would never go against the Prime Minister, so she must have meant that she will keep him away from the bastard. Though it was quite a bit of information, he was glad that Kurome didn't ask anything about his past.

...

...

"Tha-" He was about to thank her and pat her head before...

"U**n**L**i**K**e** B**i**G **s**I**s**, W**h**O **b**E**t**R**a**Y**e**D **u**S.**.**."

Naruto's hand immediately stopped before it could reach Kurome's head. The blond nearly froze in his place as he felt the aura what came from her and also seeing her eyes. No doubt she was talking about Akame.

_'What the-...'_

***Knock***

***Knock***

"Excuse me. Naruto-san, are you here?" A familiar voice came from behind the two after a few knocks on the still open door. Naruto turned around to see Run standing in front of his room with a kind smile on his face. "Oh, Kurome-san is here too? Anyway, Bols-san asked me to tell you two that dinner is ready."

"Oh, sure! I'll be there in a minute." Run nodded and left the room. Naruto turned back to look at Kurome but she was already back to how she was. "Umm, Kurome... I..."

"Don't worry. You are my friend, so I won't hate you even if you don't like the Empire. But..." She said to him. "I knew what happened to you, about what they did to you. Some of my friends died like that in the past. Though I'm glad that you survived and still remembered our promise. It hurt when they told me you died."

"Let's go." She motioned for him to follow her down to the dining room. The girl didn't know why he broke their promise. She was told that he died from a surgery a long ago, so she blamed him for leaving her behind, just like Akame.

_'Wait...'_ Naruto watched as she left._ 'She knew about them? __And she stayed...'_ This wouldn't be the first time today Naruto thought something was really off. _'Then all of this was for nothing?' _He stared at his still reached out hand. _'She is nothing like the Kurome I remember...'  
_

* * *

**Jägers' Base.**  
**Dining Room.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

"Whoaaaa! Amazing!" Naruto's stomach forced his brain to shut down and stop thinking about anything else other than food as he stared in awe at the huge feast in front of him on the table. The table was twice as big as a normal dining table and it nearly broke down from the all kinds of food.

Esdeath smiled after seeing Naruto's expression and took off her cap. "As promised, tonight we will celebrate the forming of the Jägers. So along with the seafood what Bols and Wave made, we will also have other dishes provided by the Empire's finiest chefs upon my request."

Esdeath stepped forward to her seat at the end of the table near the window.

"Now then, I hope you all will enjoy it to your heart's content." She reached out with her arms and pointed to the empty seats.

"Then let's dig in!" Naruto said as everyone chose their seat and sat down. To Esdeath's left sat Seryu, already annoyed by the fact that Koro is stealing the food from her. To Seryu's left sat Kurome, then finally Wave.

To Esdeath's right sat Dr. Stylish eyeing the dishes and whispering how stylish they look. To his right sat unfortunately a wary Naruto, who first kept looking at the doctor, not sure if he would decide to do something _'inappropriate'_, then finally Run.

"Hm?" Before Naruto could take the first bite, he noticed that someone is still missing. "Where is Bols-san?" He asked but nobody knew why he is not there.

"Maybe he is not hungry?" Seryu guessed.

The conversation then stopped here as everyone started to eat as much as they could. This was a big day for most of them in a way.

As for Naruto, he stopped stuffing food into his mouth after a good half an hour. Even though there were no ramen, he missed lunch so he didn't care about what he is eating. He tried a little from everything, though the vegetables were still not his friends.

"Whoa, you were really hungry Naruto!" Seryu said with a smile as she saw him stuffing as much food as he could into his mouth.

"Ov courf! I miffed lunh. (Of course! I missed lunch.)" Naruto replied. Most of the people at the table sweatdropped though Seryu kept smiling and Esdeath didn't seem to mind his_ 'strange'_ behaviour.

"But be careful!" She pointed behind him.

"Foo wha? (For what?)" Naruto tilted his head after swallowing the food and turned around. A cute little thing looked back to him with hungry eyes. Koro kept staring at Naruto's food. "Can I help you?" He asked with a twitching right eye, feeling irritated.

"Kyuuu~!" The Teigu stepped forward and reached out, telling Naruto to give him food.

"Nope. You can't have any!" He shielded the plate with his body defensively.

"Kyu~?" Koro continued to go forward.

"Oi! I'm warning you! One more step and... hey... ahhh!"

"Haha. They seem to get along just fine." Seryu put her hands together then closed her eyes and smiled.

The members also talked with each other after a little while. Seryu talked with Dr. Stylish and Esdeath most of the time while Wave and Naruto got along with Kurome and Run pretty well... though the black-haired girl usually stayed silent and simply nodded to the questions.

"Guaaahhh... I'm full!" Naruto leaned back with both of his hands on his now huge stomach.

"You seem to have a good appetite, Naruto." Wave told him.

"Of course. I like to eat! Also, I never had a thing for seafood but it wasn't that bad." He replied.

"Right? I pretty much grew up on them."

"I can say the same but with ramen."

...

A few hours have passed in a blink of an eye and now most of the members were inside their own room. Pretty much everyone were asleep with the exception of one. Naruto couldn't force himself to sleep no matter how hard he tried. He kept thinking about how someone will enter his room and take him away and how he will wake up in a torture room tomorrow.

His room is pretty much a normal one with light blue walls. It was highly decorated and it had almost everything a person would need in their bedroom. There was even a door leading to a private bathroom.

But this is not for him.

Though everything was alright during dinner, now he is on an edge again. He is basically sleeping with his enemies under the same roof. He doesn't know how long he can keep his calm nature around the others.

"I can't sleep..." He sat up on his bed with a hand on his face. Every time he closes his eyes...

_**"You are our precious comrade!"**_ Akame...

_**"I already marked you, so there is no escaping from me!"**_ Leone...

_**"Hehe! Don't even think about dying until we got enough money for our village, got it?"**_ Tatsumi...

_**"Hey, Naruto! Check out these new books my shop received! You won't regret it!"**_ Lubbock...

_**"It does not matter whether your talents prompt you to pick up a sword, a shield or a pen. What matters is if you are brave enough to walk on the road what you have chosen."**_ Bulat...

_**"It's not like I accepted you or anything, you stupid blonde!"**_ Mine...

_**"I'm sorry, I'm a bit clumsy, but I'll do my best to help you."**_ Sheele...

_**"You are strong, Naruto. Make our fallen comrades proud!"**_ Najenda...

_**"I swear if I meet you in the after-life in the next fifty years, I'll beat you up!"**_ Ieyasu...

_**"I know you can do it!"**_ Sayo...

Every time he closes his eyes, he sees the faces of the others as a wake up call that he doesn't belong here.

***Sigh***

"This doesn't help at all..."

He got out from bed and exited his room. He needs some water. An hour has already passed since everyone went to sleep. Naruto walked down the stairs as silently as possible. Run's and Wave's rooms were near while Kurome's and Seryu's were one level higher, ending with Esdeath's room on the top floor. Dr. Stylish and Bols too have their own rooms but Bols told them that he would prefer to stay in his home while who knows what the crazy doctor is up to in the middle of the night. He disappeared right after dinner.

"Hm?" A sudden noise came from the kitchen as the blond were a few steps away from the area.

He slowly got closer to it and saw that the lights were still on. The door was open so he peeked to see who is inside.

"Bols-san?" Naruto stepped into the kitchen as he saw Bols washing the dishes. Though it was only just a single plate. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Naruto-kun, did I wake you up?" He asked kindly as he finished washing the plate.

"No, nothing like that... I just..." He looked down and scratched the back of his head with a sad smile.

"You couldn't sleep?" Bols finished.

Naruto nodded slowly. Well, he had no reason to hide it or anything, and Bols looked like someone who can easily understand people. "I'm really nervous." Naruto answered truthfully. "Unlike you or the others, I haven't received a letter about this. This is all new to me..."

"I understand." Bols replied. "I'm the same. I'm actually nervous around people I don't know."

_'Really...?'_ Naruto looked at him dumbfounded. Before the blond knew, he sat down to the small table in the kitchen. Of course the main reason why he was so nervous is because of the fact he is from Night Raid. He fears that he might be discovered in a matter of time.

"Here." Bols stepped up to him with a glass of water in his hands and put it down in front of him. "But you can relax, with General Esdeath here, nothing wrong will happen to you." Naruto thanked the water and picked up the glass.

"By the way, Bols-san. What about you? I thought that you already left."

"I-It's nothing. I just wanted to eat a little from the dinner and help out, that's why I remained here. This is my first day here after all." The man answered.

"But why now? Why did you leave when we ate?" Naruto asked as Bols too sat down to the table.

"Because..." The former member of the Incineration Squad took a moment to think before he continued. "The sight of my terrible face... would make the food taste bad."

"I'm sure that's not true." Naruto started but soon stopped. He was about to say that they are a team and there should be nothing to worry about or hide. But he doesn't have the right to say that.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, but I rather hide my face. After all, I'm not worthy to show my face to anyone." The blond could tell that the man was sad. "My wife used to say the same, but..."

"You are married?" That surprised him, but not in a bad way.

"Yes..." Bols placed his hands on his face as if to hide a huge amount of blush. "I've been married for six years now. I really don't deserve someone as wonderful as my wife and daughter though."

"Oh, do you have a picture of them? There were times back in my village when I had to babysit one of my friend's little sister." While he spent most of the time around Tatsumi, Ieyasu and Sayo back in his village, Naruto also talked and helped other kids out when they needed some assistance. He remembered that one of them had to take care of his baby sister who was only 2 years old while he went out to hunt with the adults for some meat. Their parents died a year after the little girl's birth. All because of they exhausted themselves to get enough money to pay the taxes and feed their children.

Of course at that time, Naruto didn't know that all of it was the Empire's fault.

"I always have one with me, but she is not a baby anymore." Bols said in a much more friendly tone as he searched for his wallet and pulled out a small picture of his wife holding their daughter in her hands. Both of them had a smile on their faces.

"She is cute!" Naruto said as he looked at the picture.

"She's born a year after our wedding, she is 5 years old now." Bols then pocketed the picture as he started to tell Naruto some stories about his daughter and how he got rejected by his wife several times before succeeding. Bols told him that if Naruto will come to love someone he should never give up on her no matter how hard it seems like. Just stay positive, kind and caring.

On the other hand, Naruto simply nodded as he haven't really thought about love thanks to being an assassin. He found some women incredibly beautiful through his time as a member of Night Raid. Akame and Leone for example but something like crossing the borderline between being friends and lovers never crossed his mind.

Until now, thanks to Bols. He turned bright red as he thought about having a family with either of them but he quickly chased away those thoughts.

"Thank you, Bols-san. I guess... I'm not that nervous anymore." Naruto smiled. This conversation with the man certainly helped him calm down.

"Don't mention it, Naruto-kun. Also, please just call me Bols."

"Alright, Bols."

While he got along well with Wave, Dr. Stylish pissed him off, he can't forgive Seryu for killing Sheele, Esdeath is unapproachable in his eyes and something about Kurome was off. Run was... Run, he can't put his finger on it why but he felt that there is something strange about him. But he found a great friend in Bols after the nearly one hour long conversation.

The man then said that it was time for him to go and that his family is most likely asleep by now.

Naruto went up to his room and took a deep breath before going to bed.

He slept like a baby.

* * *

**Next Day.**  
**Jägers' Base.**  
**Dining Room.**  
**Early Morning.**

* * *

"Hahaha... How does it feel to be helplessly grabbed by the Blades of Death?" A demonic laugh filled the dining room as the predator caught his new prey. Feeling his stomach yearning for fresh meat, he licked his lips.

"Naruto-san..."

"Your flesh, your guts, and even your bones will be consumed to fuel my ambitions!" Naruto continued to stare down with glowing red eyes. He shut out everything else and he focused only to ease his hunger.

"Naruto-san, please..."

"Let the feast begin! I shall devour all of you to fulfill my destiny!" He brought his_ 'weapon'_ down to the target. "The first sacrifice I shall accept is... you!"

"Naruto!"

"Eaaagh!" The blond nearly dropped the chopsticks into his ramen.

The flames from the background and the dramatic music died down as Naruto was brought back to the real world. He stared at the steaming bowl of ramen what was sitting in front of him in embarrassment as he realized that he was not alone in the room. With a nervous chuckle he looked to the seat to his right, seeing a smiling Run.

"Naruto-san... Well, how should I say it... You are ruining our breakfast."

"S-Sorry..." Naruto whispered as he lowered his head and continued to eat his ramen in silence with several clouds flying above his head.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. It was certainly an interesting show." Esdeath said with an amused smile.

Waking up today was weird. There were no alarm clocks and Naruto's room was quite, yet he still woke up when the Sun shined through the windows. Esdeath told them at breakfast that today is a free day and they should enjoy it while it last. Everyone is free to wonder around the Capital as much as they like with the condition to return at noon. That is exactly four hours from this point.

Kurome was playing with Koro since she already finished her breakfast. Ever since Naruto told her that he hates the Empire, she started acting strange as if she is trying to avoid him.

"General, what have you been doing with your spare time in the past?" Seryu asked Esdeath who calmly took a sip from her wine glass, savouring the taste.

"Mostly hunting and torture." No surprise there. "Otherwise I study. But at the moment... Love." Naruto and Wave paled. "I was thinking that I might try my hand at it."

_'She is pretty and all, but after I saw her powers yesterday and what Boss told to me, I would prefer if she could leave me alone.'_ Naruto thought with a sweatdrop.

"By the way, has the report on the spare Teigu come in yet?" Esdeath asked the fromer member of the Capital Guard Forces.

"Ahh... Yes. The giant scissors Teigu that we retrieved from those evil people is currently being held in the main guard office. But we have yet to find anyone suitable to use them." Seryu answered.

_'Sheele's Teigu?!'_

"At this rate, the Prime Minister will take control of it, hmm... And that would be a waste." Esdeath put a finger on her chin. "In order to find someone capable enough to use them... I say we should put on an entertaining show, let's say three days from now."

Naruto listened carefully to their conversation. Esdeath is planning to find someone suitable to Sheele's Teigu in three short days. That means the Jägers will have one more member. Added to the fact that right now there are only five members in Night Raid at the moment not including himself and Najenda, their chances of succeeding will be decreased drastically.

Then an idea hit him. Yeah, he might as well just ask it.

"Alright, any questions for today?" Esdeath stood up from her seat and asked the others.

"Here!" Naruto raised his hand. "I've been wanting to ask this, but talking about Teigus, we are supposed to be a Teigu user squad, right? Then how about I participate in that tournament and see if I'm suited for that scissors Teigu?" This was the best idea he could think of. This way, he won't have to worry about an additional Jäger.

"Hmm. I appreaciate the thought, but you are about to receive your own Teigu soon. I'm aware that this will be a squad filled with Teigu users, including you. Actually, you can go with the doctor after lunch and get one yourself from the vault."

_'What?'_ He is about to get a Teigu today? He thought about this yesterday, but she really is kind to her subordinates. _'Just like this?'_

"And besides, that would ruin the whole point of the tournament." Esdeath said.

That didn't work. Looks like he can't do much without it being too suspicious.

_'Alright, change of plans then.'_ If he can't participate, then someone else has to.

* * *

**Two Hours Later.**  
**Capital.**

* * *

The Sun was up for a while now, meaning that the people of the Capital have left their home to do their everyday routine. Some went to work, some went to buy something, and some could only pray that a kind hearted person would help them out.

While empty at night, the streets were crowded in the daytime. Among this crowd walked a person with his hands inside his jacket. He didn't mind the huge wave of people since it would hide him well if someone decided to go after him. Though he didn't feel anything strange as he walked forward.

His destination is just up ahead.

A bookshop became visible to Naruto when he looked through the crowd. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and with a last check of his surroundings, he entered the shop. He didn't sense any Teigu with his Shingu nor felt any hostile presence.

Soon as he entered the bookshop called_ 'Booknight'_, his calm and collected personality disappeared. He now finally had time to catch his breath inside without putting up a mask showing that he was calm.

"Lubbock!" Naruto called out. Since Esdeath gave everyone permission to roam around the city, the blond immediately chose to check the hideout hoping that someone was in there. "Are you there?" He sounded worried. Since the shop was open, he assumed that his green-haired friend was around here somewhere.

But no answer came.

Did Night Raid brand him a traitor and now they set up a trap for him? No, that's not possible, it's been only a day.

"Lubba!" Naruto walked deeper into the shop. He opened a door at the back to enter the room what leads down to the hideout. When he entered the room, he spotted his friend who was currently packing books into some boxes. Lubbock immediately looked at the newcomer with sharp eyes, thinking that it was an imperial soldier. The blond could feel Cross Tails' threads all around the room.

Though as soon as Lubbock saw Naruto, his jaw dropped down.

"Naruto?! What the hell?!" Lubbock nearly dropped the books he held in his hands. "We were all over the Capital yesterday! Where the hell have you been? Akame is still disguised outside, looking for you... in broad daylight no less!" Lubbock took a moment to catch his breath before speaking up again.

"W-Well, that's a bit..." Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head, thinking about how should he start his explanation. He was glad that the others were looking for him, not with blades but with worry.

"Before saying anything, let me ask... There are no women in the background, right?" Lubbock raised an eyebrow with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, in a way... Wai-What?! No!" First, he thought about Kurome when Lubbock said_ 'women'_ then he realized the other meaning of the sentence. "Come on!" This wasn't the time for jokes.

"Just making sure..." The green-haired boy remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. A couple seconds later Lubbock then motioned Naruto to follow him down to the secret hideout. He opened up the floor to reveal the stairs and both of them went down.

Taking a seat on one of the couches, he spoke up.

"Alright, shoot." Lubbock's personality took a quick turn as he was now serious about the situation. There must have been a reason why Naruto couldn't return to headquarters the other day.

"Okay..." He took a deep breath, thinking where should he start. "As much as this will sound crazy, unbelievable and whatever, just hear me out first. I have important informations." Lubbock nodded and so Naruto began telling him how it started. "It all started when I bumped into this guy named Wave..."

He told him how he saw his Teigu, how he made a plan inside his head to follow him, how they took care of a couple bandits, and how he screwed up inside the Special Police's Conference Room. After he made it to the end, Lubbock went through several personality changes with the first being shocked.

"Wait, wait, wait! I get it that the witch discovered you, but how the hell did she leave you alive? An eavesdropper is not exactly a potential new member."

"This is where the crazy part comes in. Somehow, thanks to Seryu, the Prime Minister heard that I'm still alive and kicking inside the Capital. He did everything to find me but since I live with you guys, the soldiers couldn't do much. Then he ordered Esdeath to find me... probably. Esdeath said so herself that she was ordered to _'hunt'_ me down." Naruto explained.

"Your luck is off the charts..." Lubbock muttered.

"Hm?"

"Nothing. I get it now. She remembered your appearance. Seryu was an imperial soldier before, so giving a detailed description is part of her job." Lubbock said it out loud. "But what bothers me is this Jägers group."

"Yes, Esdeath is our... their leader and everyone except me has a Teigu." Upon hearing him, Lubbock immediately looked down in worry. "As for the others..."

...

...

...

"Shit..." Lubbock played with the pen in his hand as he stopped writing down what Naruto said about the members of the Jägers and their personalities and how they act.

"I told you about the members but I still don't know much about their Teigu."

"Well, we can cross Esdeath's, Seryu's, and Kurome's out of the picture... Still, the fact that Kurome is in this... it will hit Akame-chan hard."

"Wait, you said you know Kurome's Teigu?" Naruto asked.

"March of the Dead, Yatsufusa. It can pretty much raise the corpses it slayed back from the dead."

***Tap* *Tap* *Tap***

Both of them stopped as they heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

...

_'Did someone follow me...?'_

_..._

"Arrrgghhh! Kyoroch was no good either!" A young woman walked down the stairs with her hands behind her head. She looked frustraited "How could someone disappear without a trace? I swear if I see him again I will give him a good-" The blonde woman's eyes opened as she released a heavy sigh but her sentence got cut off as soon as her orbs found Naruto's face. "Ah?"

Leone froze in her place with her previous tired look and both her and Naruto stared at each other with him getting more nervous every second.

Naruto raised his shaky right hand up to his head to greet her. "Y-Yo, Leone..." He was sweating like crazy.

***Grab***

"Huh?"

"Where the hell have you been, mister?" Leone grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and started shaking him furiously with a pissed off expression. "We searched the whole Capital for you, even at night. At least you could have come back half-dead!" Naruto started to feel dizzy as the world began to spin around him.

"WaaaAAAAaaaAAA..."

Now he _WILL_ be half-dead...

***Fwump***

Right when Naruto was about to worry he might not be able to leave this place in one piece, Leone's sudden rage left as fast is it came and the boy found his face buried between a pair of soft breasts.

"Don't make us worry like that again. We missed you, you know." She wrapped both hands around his neck with a grin.

"I missed these two too..." Naruto mumbled with a deadpanned look, not realizing what he just said while Leone squezzed his face into her breasts.

"I heard that!"

***Crack***

"Guaaah! My neck!" Naruto screamed in pain as Leone tightened her grip on his neck. "I get it! I get it! I missed you too, Leone-chan!"

"Ah..." Leone loosened her grip. Lubbock's lower jaw nearly dropped down to the floor as he witnessed Night Raid's unteasable woman's faint blush when Naruto added the _'chan'_ to her name. Our protagonist's face however was still buried deep down so he didn't see anything.

"Hoooo?" Leone grinned. "Not bad. I knew you had it in you! Then I might as well have you call me like that from now on." She released the blond's head who now had stars flying above it.

"Naruto, you lucky bastard!"

After things calmed down, the three now sat down around a table to discuss what happened to Naruto. Of course, the boys filled Leone in on the previous twenty minutes.

How the sake bottles magically teleported in front of her though was still a mistery.

"You sure had it rough. So nobody suspects anything?" Leone asked Naruto who was sitting next to her.

"I don't think so. As I told you, I only mentioned to Kurome that I dislike the Empire." He answered. "But she started to act weird after that..." This got the others attention. "Nothing serious, but she is more distant. From the little memory I have of her, she was a kind but a bit timid girl. Can't believe she is acting all emotionless now." After their reunion she barely smiled and at today's breakfast, she remained silent the entire time.

Naruto promised to Akame that he will do something about Kurome. He thought that he could somehow make a difference with his story about the experiments, but it turned out that she knew about them.

"I told you." Leone lied down onto the couch and placed her hands behind her head. "The way you described her before at the base and the way Akame described her after she left the Empire... It sounds like the two of you were talking about two different person." After she saw the face Naruto made, she continued. "She is not the same Kurome you once knew."

"..." Naruto kept looking at the table.

"It's not my business, but she is most likely accepted the fact what the Empire do to its people. She is already corrupted." Leone finished.

"..." He wanted to say something back... Something like that it is not true and that she can be saved... But he remembered the sudden change when Kurome talked about Akame, her fearsome smile and that little _'something'_ in her eyes.

"Same here." Lubbock spoke up. "We just received word that she and her comrades have mercilessly slaughtered an entire village just because it traded with other races and not with the Empire."

"?!" This surprised Naruto.

"Still, for Esdeath to be their leader..." Leone looked up to the ceiling. "We will have to fight with her sooner or later."

"Naruto, about that tournament you mentioned..." Lubbock brought it up again. "You said that Esdeath is looking for someone who can wield Sheele-san's Teigu, right? Did she mention why it is necessary to decide it with simple battles?" He asked.

"Yeah, she wants to watch an entertaining show." The others sweatdropped. "But my best bet would be that she wants to find her future partner in love."

...

...

...

"A what?!" The green-haired assassin paled. "She wants a lover?"

"Seems like it. The winners from each battles will also receive quite a huge payment, with that alone, even more powerful people will come." Naruto explained. The money will lure in even more people from the Capital so Esdeath could choose the best man suitable to her.

"I wanted to participate to see if I can get Extasy back for the Revolutionary Army, but she forbid me saying that it would ruin the purpose of the whole thing." He said before Leone sat up and hugged him with one arm.

"Hmph! That sadist witch can just go and fall in love with someone else. I marked you before, so I ain't handing you over even if she decides to make you her lover." Leone declared as she drank from a bottle of sake with her other hand.

"G-Good to know..." Naruto's left eye twitched as he automatically assumed that she is just teasing him again. "But we still need to do something about Extasy." The matter of Sheele's Teigu is still up in the air. If he can't get it, then someone else has to. An idea then hit him.

"By the look on your face, I assume we are thinking the same thing?" Leone told him as both looked at each other with a grin, leaving a confused Lubbock behind.

"We sure are!" Naruto answered. The two then looked at the last member inside the room.

...

...

"Go for her, Lubba!"  
"Go for her, Lubba!"

The two gave him a thumbs up.

"That's not even funny! And we are talking about getting the Teigu here!" Lubbock screamed back. "What about Tatsumi? With the payment alone, he could help out your village. I'll ask him when I get back." He suggested.

"Lubba, can you tell me the time?" Naruto asked him.

"Sure." The green-haired boy reached down to one of his pockets and stared at his pocket watch. "Almost noon, why?"

"Crap!" Naruto is supposed to get back at noon, otherwise, who knows what Esdeath will do to him. "I need to go back."

This surprised the other two.

"What?! You want to go back?" Leone raised her voice. "This is the perfect chance to get away from them and go back to us!"

"I know, but there is still something I need to do."

"Look, if you are thinking about Akame's sister, then forget it. She is a lost cause."

"..." Naruto didn't say anything.

"Naruto, if you go back now..."

"There is something else..." The blond stopped her. "Esdeath told me that I'm going to get a Teigu after lunch."

"A Teigu..." Lubbock said it out loud. "They are giving you a Teigu?"

"Yeah... must be because everyone in the Jägers have one except me. That's why, at least I want to have one more Teigu on our side... Please, trust me on this. I'll return after the tournament, in three days after the whole Extasy business is over." He stood up and walked to the stairs.

"Won't it interfere with your Shingu? The Teigu I mean."

"Who knows... But a Teigu is a Teigu."

...

"We really can't say anything to that... And stopping you would be useless." Though Leone was still sceptical. "But just to make sure, you WILL come back to us, right? Akame was really worried when you disappeared. She is still outside in broad daylight, looking for you." Leone said.

Naruto nodded with a look full of determination.

"Guess I should get her some tasty meat then, or a present so she won't kill me." He grinned. "Don't worry, Leone-chan, I'm a member of Night Raid, I would never join the Empire now."

"Then I might as well go with you for a little bit, I still have to tell Akame that you are in one piece." Leone too stood up and walked up to him. Naruto then looked to Lubbock, who sighed.

"...Take some books from the store so you could show them that you didn't just roam around the Capital."

"Got it. Then see you later!" He waved with his hand as both him and Leone walked up the stairs.

...

...

...

***Sigh***

Lubbock could only stare after their retreating figures with a neutral look. "I really hope you know what you are doing..." He whispered.

It was time to return to the Palace.

* * *

**Three Hours Later.**  
**Palace.**  
**Teigu Vault.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

Time quickly passed as Naruto was now in front of a huge vault where all the Teigus are most likely held. He was excited that he will finally get one for himself. He survived more than a month without actually using an Imperial Arm.

Maybe he will get something like Lubbock's. A versatile Teigu that can be used multiple ways. Or maybe he will get an armor-type Teigu like Incursio? He would be happy for sure if that happen. He felt like a 6 years old child who is about to get his presents for his birthday.

"And here we are!" Stylish pointed to the huge vault. "Inside this vault lies the Teigu what the Prime Minister decided to specifically give you."

"What? So there will be only one inside? I thought I could choose or something?"

"You really think that we could go inside the one that holds all of the Teigus in our possession?" The doctor said, giving the guards in front of the vault a quick wink to open it. "This one is special... It would be useful in our team, that's why you'll get it."

Though there were sure many Teigu in the area. Naruto could barely hide the blue light coming from his Shingu from Stylish's eyes. His Shingu is running crazy by the amount of Teigu near him.

_'I knew it. There is a huge difference in the atmosphere. It's nothing like the calm one when I'm around Night Raid's base.'_ Naruto thought as the vault opened, revealing nothing except a small stand. The rest of the area was grey from the metal walls and empty.

"Now then... go and get it. We don't have all day." Stylish urged him to get going.

As Naruto stepped inside the vault, he became tense. He didn't know why, but something told him that he should be careful here. Taking small steps towards the stand, he wondered if Stylish will just close the vault and let him rot here.

"It's... It's a box..." The blond said it out loud as a jewel-case stood on the stand. The box was nothing fancy, just a black jewel-case with some blue lines, not that he would care about that.

"Yes, cutie... but what's inside the box?" The doctor told him with crossed arms. This was highly suspicious to Naruto but he what could he do in this situation other then finding it out?

***Sigh***

The box is small so whatever is inside, its not a sword nor a weapon. Hell, it most likely a jewel or something. A ring maybe?

***Click***

A small button was present on the jewel-case and as soon as Naruto pressed it, it shot open.

"Ugh..." Though upon seeing the content of the small box, the boy regretted everything. "What is this...?" There was some kind of black liquid inside it. Also, whatever it is, it smelled horrible. It's certainly not for him if first impressions really count.

"That, my boy, is a stylish Teigu."

"I think it's all mixed up..." Naruto commented as he put his hand in front of his nose to cover it. The disgusting smell was killing him. "What is so stylish about it?"

"Drink it and find out."

"I'm not drinking this!" Seriously, his Shingu is more than enough inside his body. He won't get this thing inside his system. Naruto turned around. "I'm leaving, stylish or not, this is not worth it..."

"That's not a wise decision..."

"Hai?"

"All members in our group should have a Teigu, weak or not. Now imagine what will happen if you go back empty handed. You would fail. Just put your hand in it and get it over with."

_'Why does he insist with all this?'_ Naruto questioned inside his head as he looked back to the opened box._ 'Well, a Teigu is a Teigu... and... he does have a point.'_ He started walking back slowly. "Place my hand inside?" He looked at his right hand and then to the black liquid.

This should better worth it. He can't belive what he is doing just so the Empire would have one less Teigu in the final battle.

"Can I have your word that you will tell me why I got this particular Teigu?" He asked the doctor.

"Of course, cutie!" And he winked back to him. "But I can tell you right now. The Empire can't just spare all the Teigu to a person who haven't accomplished anything yet. That's why, this is the only one the Prime Minister is willing to give you."

"Somehow I don't believe you."

"And somehow I don't care. Believe what you want."

He sweatdropped._ 'Alright here goes nothing...'_

Naruto moved his hand closer and closer to the liquid. He could already feel an unknown force pulling his limb towards it. With a final deep breath, he placed his hand into it.

...

"Hm?"

It felt strange but certainly not bad. The Teigu was warm.

...

But that was all. Nothing happened. He waited for a few minutes in case it needed some time but he got bored and disappointed later. He won't be getting any Teigu and his hand will stink for at least a week thanks to this. "Figures..." His first impression about it was bad, so it wasn't that much of a surprise that the Teigu rejected him.

Naruto pulled out his hand.

***Splatch***

But as soon as he did, three black spikes shot out from his right hand, tearing through his flesh and skin. He could hear as his bones shattered.

"H...Huh?" He watched as his blood dripped down into the box. "Why are there..." But his pupils widened and he fell down to his back, unconscious.

...

...

***Whooosh***

...

...

***Whooosh***

...

"..." Icy winds blew past him and snow whirled all around him as he gazed at his surroundings. This was the picture what he first saw when he opened his eyes. He is standing in a snowy field with nothing but whiteness all around him. Despite his lack of warm clothes, he wasn't cold.

"Why..."

He heard a voice but couldn't find the source.

"Why...?"

Naruto turned around once again and to his shock, he saw Wave staring down at the snow with his eyes shadowed by his hair.

"Wav-"

"Why did you betray us?" Wave raised his voice as he looked up to face him.

"Huh?"

"Kurome barely ate anything anymore thanks to you..." Wave clenched his fists. "And to find that you left to join Night Raid..." He grit his teeth.

"..." Naruto looked down for a second than back to Wave. "I told you about the Empire... you know exactly why."

"Yes, I know..." Wave reached for his Teigu. "That's why..." He unsheated the short sword in a blink of an eye and pointed it at Naruto. "I'll consider you my enemy from now on. Because of you... Kurome..." Wave jumped forward. "Kurome died because of you!"

"What?! Wave, wai-" Naruto wished for something that could stop time. He didn't want to fight Wave. He wanted something that could help him out in this situation he didn't understand. He brought up his right hand in front of him for protection.

A weapon...

He needed a wea-

***Stab***

But he had no such luck as finding a weapon on the snow-filled field. Wave's Teigu stabbed right through his right hand and went straight into his chest.

"Guahh..." Blood bursted out of the blond's mouth and dripped down to Wave's blade. His vision was getting blurry.

This was the end for him...

...

...

...

"Ah!"

Blue eyes shot open as Naruto awoke on the floor inside the vault. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and placed a hand on his head.

_'What the hell was that?'_ He looked behind him, seeing that Stylish was still there. "How long was I out?" Naruto asked as he stood up.

"Five seconds." The doctor answered. "Now then, see what you got." He pointed a finger at him.

Naruto still felt half-dizzy after all that mess with that dream. Though it is not something he can just ignore. It might happen in the near future... his fight against Wave.

Leaving this matter for a later date, he shook his head and looked down to his hands. It took the blond by surprise that he found a small object resting on his right palm. A dark blue color, a round shape, and a small chain attached to its end...

A blue pocket watch. An elegant item for elegant people. Not like he had one before.

The young man didn't know what to think at first. The pocket watch looked so... normal? No, its blue color stands out too much for that to be true. But it doesn't look unique to him. He was half-sad that the Teigu he received wasn't a weapon but an accessory.

***Clap* *Clap***

"Bravo, Naruto-kun! You successfully acquired your own Teigu." Stylish finally stepped closer to him, giving Naruto a small smile. "Let me introduce you to Pendulum. A Teigu purely made from a rare Danger Beast's skin what could produce a unique mercury."

"Mercury?"

"An unusual substance resembling molten metal, at least in its liquid form. A requisite ingredient in the casting of enchanted blades for the Empire's finest soldiers. In your case, the type of mercury what that Teigu is made of was one of a kind."

Naruto looked down to the pocket watch as his brain registered the doctor's words. Pushing the button at the top of the Teigu, the pocket watch quickly opened, revealing the clock-hands and the twelve roman numbers. There was only one problem. The clock-hands refused to move. All three of them stopped exactly at 11.

_'Is this thing broken?'_ He thought as his eyes were on the accessory. He wondered if there are even any cogwheel inside it. "So, what about its abili-" Naruto slowly raised his head up.

"?!" The blond's body tensed up and his eyes slightly widened when a dark figure appeared inches above from his face. The man looked like some kind of soldier with some weird mask on his face. The target was him. As the enemy was in mid-air slightly above Naruto, he raised his right arm to deliver a powerful bone-cracking jab.

Overcoming the surprise attack, Naruto began to lean backwards with narrow eyes. A head-on attack like that won't work on him, not anymore. Thanks to his Shingu, he can get out of these situation in a blink of an eye.

***Ba-dumm...***

_'Ah...'_

Nothing happened.

A sharp pain ran through his body as the Shingu refused to aid its user.

_'Shit!'_ Naruto wanted to think further about how could such a thing happen but the enemy's fist was dangerously close. He didn't have enough time to think. The blond quickly crossed his arms in a defensive way, sacrificing both of them to survive the attack.

As the punch got successfully delivered, Naruto flew across the vault like a ragdoll before regaining the control over his body in mid-air and landing on his feet after a few meters of skidding. He kept his Teigu safe in his right hand.

"Guh..." His arms were screaming from the impact though the bones inside them were miraculously still intact. Naruto looked to the side and saw that Sylish was smiling at him. "You bastard! What's your problem?!"

"Hey now. Isn't this a good opportunity to test your Teigu out?" Dr. Stylish looked amuzed as his minion -Naruto guessed that his attacker is possibly his soldier- walked up to him. "Knock yourself out and go nuts!"

"We are still inside the Palace." Naruto dusted himself down.

"And? Now that there is nothing inside this vault, it lost its meaning. And besides, there is nothing what my _'Team Stylish'_ can't clean up."

"Then I sure as hell hope you have an acting boss somewhere, because this guy here won't be the only one who receives a piece of my mind." The doctor shrugged the blond's threat off like he didn't care.

The man with a mask on his face stepped forward with clenched fists.

"Kill..."

Naruto just stared at him, not sure what to do with the guy. Esdeath broke the sword he got before his second fight against Zank and he also left his hidden knives inside his black jacket. There is no other choice but to fight with barehands. Well, there are no weapons in the enemy's hands either, so they are pretty much equal.

"Kill!" The enemy yelled as he jumped forward with great speed.

Naruto looked up as he saw him coming. He placed a hand onto his chest and looked to the right to get out of the way...

***Ba-dumm***

But his Shingu still refused to work. Instead it sent a sharp pain all around his body. He didn't know how, but something told him that the Teigu in his right hand is responsible for this.

Fortunately, this guy is not a big-shot so Shingu or not, it won't be an issue to take him down.

"Get..." Naruto planted his left foot against the hard floor and he pulled back his left arm with his fist raised. Leaning to the side to avoid the enemy's punch, Naruto's left fist shot forward like it was fired from a gun. "...LOST!" In a blink of an eye, a powerful uppercut sent the masked back and down to the ground. The force was enough to keep him down for a while.

After taking a minute to look at the fallen enemy, Naruto looked back to Stylish with a glare.

"Tch, tch. You are no good, Naruto-kun. You have to use your Teigu to pass this test." He snapped with his fingers as four figure appeared behind him, each of them wearing the same strange mask. "Okay boys, from now on... Consider that cute little boy your enemy!" They grunted and turned towards Naruto.

The soldier who got knocked down to the ground a minute ago also stood up and joined his allies. Soon, all of them began to circle around Naruto.

_'Great...'_ Naruto thought as he looked around him. His situation just turned from bad to worse. Bringing the pocket watch up to his face, he pressed the button to open it._ 'What now?'_

Nothing happened.

He clenched his left fist. There was no time left.

All of the soldiers shot off from the ground, running towards their new prey. How can Naruto activate this Teigu? Maybe he should yell out its name? Or maybe he could wish for it to work? Or what will happen if he push the button again?

***Ba-dumm* *Ba-dumm***

There was no time for hesitation. He could hear his heartbeat like it was next to his ears.

Time stopped for Naruto as he kept thinking how he could activate the Teigu in his hand.

***Ba-dumm* *Ba-dumm***

His heartbeat was off the charts, yet he remained calm.

Because he can feel it instinctively. An unknown force moved his thumb onto the button at the top of the pocket watch. The clock-hands were still frozen.

Naruto didn't even glance at the incoming attacks. His focus was only on the small Teigu. He have to stop this.

_'Push it...'_ A voice told him. Was it an illusion? Was it a real voice? Who knows. Not a single question was present inside his head in that particular moment.

He knew what he was doing.

The rain of fists closes in on his brain. He imagined himself dying.

***Click***

No, that won't happen.

Because he pushed the button.

It happened in an instant.

Moments later, Naruto swept through the enemies, sending the soldiers back a couple feet as his figure was taken over by a shining bright light.

"Oh my..." A deep voice. It belonged to Stylish.

He felt strange, like his arms were on fire. He couldn't move them as the weird sensation run through his hands then up to his arms then his whole body.

A heavy sound echoed...

As the light died down, the small pocket watch melted into Naruto's body. Both of his forearms were covered in some kind of strange dark grey armor. It looked like it was his own skin but hardened. Red lines and two cogwheel symbols decorated the two limbs while a horizontal red line also appeared on each of his cheeks. The skin of Naruto's arms began to mutate and encase itself into an organic, greyish-silver metal.

Taking a second to check his appearance, he wondered what happened to him. He felt stronger, much stronger.

"What is this..." He made a fist. Since the armor did not fall off, he presumed that it was part of him now. No, he wasn't even sure that it was an armor. It could be his skin.

"Catch!" Stylish yelled as he threw something at Naruto.

The young man caught it with ease though he was surprised to see that it was a weapon. A katana.

The weapon has a dark blue octagonal guard and the rest of the hilt is also dark blue. The scabbard for the blade was black.

"Why...?" The blond turned his head with a suspicious look.

"What? I'm not here for your corpse. Consider it a gift. Your Teigu is not a weapon-type one, so I thought I might as well give you a hand." The doctor also said that a simple sword for a stylish Teigu as his just won't cut it. That's why he gave him a katana,_ 'an elegant weapon for an elegant Teigu'_.

"..." Naruto's grip increased on the still sheated weapon.

"Also, you want me, right? You can get here easier this way." Stylish smirked as his minions stepped between him and the blond.

Naruto stared at the soldiers as he slightly pushed the katana out of its sheat with his left thumb. "You got that right." From this point further, he will act as a member of Night Raid.

"Kill..." Said one of them.

"Kill." Another one copied him but with more power.

"KILL!" And after the third time, the first one lunged forward.

As he got in front of Naruto's face in a blink of an eye, the blond stepped to the side and let the bloke run past him. The soldier could only see a quick gleam before he stopped with his back facing Naruto's. The two continued to stay like that until the enhanced man looked behind him, seeing that Naruto's katana was already unsheated in his right hand and blood was dripping down from the blade. The scabbard was now on his hip.

***Splash***

Then the red liquid shot out all around the masked person as he got cut in half with one clean slash.

"_Ichizan Hissatsu_." Naruto whispered Akame's signature_ 'One Slash Sure Kill'_ phrase as he mimicked her move. He rested the Teigu on his shoulder as he looked around him. He was surrounded by the rest of the soldiers from each side. He remained silent.

The remaining four soldiers jumped at him while one of them pulled out a shortsword from his hip.

"Kill!"

Time slowed down as Naruto tilted his head to the side and dodged the enemy's sword. Followed by a lightning fast sidestep he also avoided getting hit by the unarmed enemies. He looked up to see another sword coming for his head from high above him. Naruto backstepped and watched as the sword got stuck into the ground. He walked up on the blade and sidekicked the soldier's face whose sword got free from the force when he was sent back.

Behind the young man, the next enemy aimed a powerful punch at his temple.

Turning around, Naruto brought up his left arm and blocked the powerful attack like it was nothing. His Teigu must have absorb most of it.

Naruto grabbed the soldier's arm with his left hand and threw him into the wall like his weight didn't even matter. His head got crushed from the impact.

Three remain.

_'Whoa, I feel like I could lift a mountain!'_ He said inside his head.

Feeling the urge to try the Teigu out, Naruto took a couple steps back from the three soldiers and sheated the katana.

The first enemy attacked him head on.

Both of them pulled back their right arm and punched forward, their fists meeting in the middle. The veins, arteris and bones in the arm of the unlucky soldier pretty much exploded as Naruto's attack sent him back but not before delivering the finishing blow.

Two remain.

_'Isn't this a lot like my Shingu's strengthening ability?'_ He wondered. The lines on his arms then suddenly turned blue as he disappeared in a flash and jumped up into the air. Naruto punched the remaining two soldiers into the ground as he landed.

It is over.

He was much faster than last time.

_'So the pocket watch have combined with my Shingu...? Is that why I can use its abilities? But what is the Teigu's power __then?'_ He stared at his forearms as his metallic skin chipped away into the air, revealing his normal skin and jacket under it. Looks like the Teigu reached its limit. _'This is...'_

As the armor continued to crack further, the red lines on his cheeks faded away, leaving behind two horizontal scars exactly where his whisker-like marks were, making the two top ones more noticeable.

When the Teigu disappeared, more of Naruto's hair on the right side turned red. The previous 5% was now 10, clearly visible.

"..."

"What a power. You were amazing back there, Naruto-kun." Stylish clapped with his hands. "Now then, I'll have the soldiers outside clean the vault."

"..."

"Let's go, shall we?." The doctor turned around.

***Shhh***

"Hmmm~" An amoused smile found its way onto Stylish's mouth. "Pointing the weapon against the person who gave it to you just a few minutes ago? That's not very nice..." Stylish turned back to face Naruto. "...Naruto-kun."

Naruto unsheated the katana and pointed it at the doctor's neck from the side.

"You are the one who is not_ 'nice'_. There is something you are not telling me... Enough with your games."

"Hooo? And what exactly am I hiding from you, little Assassin-kun?"

...

...

...

_'S-Shit!'_

***Tick* **

***Tack***

Unknown to Naruto, the pocket watch what materialized in his left hand suddenly started ticking.

It's over for him. He has been discovered.

***What will you do?***

***_Attack Stylish_* *_Remain Silent_***

* * *

**Chapter 9: END**

**Next Chapter: Kill the Unexpected Gift**

* * *

**Full Name: **Cursed Soul: Pendulum

**Type:** Support

**Faction: **The Empire** (on paper)  
** The Revolutionary Army** (truly)**

**Ability:** Overlimit

_(It has the ability to unlock the user's hidden potential and bring out that strength by altering the user's appearance so that it may withstand the great power for a limited amount of time)_

**Trump Card:** Unknown

Pendulum is a Teigu that can be used to strengthen both offensive and defensive capabilities. It takes the form of a pocket watch with an attached chain. When released, the pocket watch melds into the user's body and the clock-hands begin to function until the Teigu is deactivated, _at least if the user can control it_. The reason what the countdown represents is still unknown.

_The Teigu has 3 stages and the countdown inside the pocket watch moves faster with each level._

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**Note#2: Alright, I can imagine most of you are displeased with the Teigu I gave to Naruto, I know. It's lame, but this is the only thing what can work with the _'twist'_ I have in mind for later chapters. (And it is also pointless to hide anything. The basic idea for the Teigu came from the games called _'Dark Sector' + 'Xillia 2' _(as in the pocket watch being the key)_, _though there won't be any ****three-edged throwing blade or spear here.)**

**Note#3: With this chapter, the story has been set. The feeltrain will depart soon.**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Hey Everyone! New chapter!**

**This one is more of a 'filler' kind of chapter than an important one. It still takes a rather huge part to show the difference ****between Chapter 1 and now personality wise.**

**Feel free to send a PM if you have any questions.**

**Thank you for all the support!**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: ******Kill the Unexpected Gift**  
Capital.**  
**Battle Arena.**  
**Noon.**

* * *

The spectators' cheers and yells filled the arena as the endless battles kept them entertained. The people were loud enough to hear them even in a far away room beneath the arena.

All of the sounds reached Naruto's ears but he gave them no notice. The only thing that bothered him was the small pocket watch in his right hand. Ever since he entered the small office where Esdeath assigned him to work, he kept staring at the Teigu the whole time.

**"In the west corner! Nobunaga of the dry-goods store!"** Wave's voice reached the underground office.

To tell the truth, it was more like a creepy prison cell than a normal office. All he had to do was to write down each winner on a small piece of paper and give the reward -_the money_\- to a guard so that he can pass it to the lucky individual.

"Oh mighty Teigu, please show your secrets to my unworthy being..." With a bored look on his face, Naruto kept trying to activate his Teigu,_ Pendulum_, but it ended with no luck. The clock-hands were frozen again.

***Sigh***

He closed the pocket watch along with his eyes while sitting on a chair at his table. He leaned back and looked up to the ceiling with a far away look.

_'Would I have just been one more added to the number of hundreds of thousands to die in the torture room if I had...?'_

He remebered the events three days ago.

* * *

**Flashback.  
Three Days Ago.**  
**Palace.**  
**Vault Room.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

***Tick***

***Tack***

***Tick***

***Tack***

A lonely sweat dropped down from Naruto's chin as he locked eyes with the Empire's possibly most crazy doctor.

_'What should I do?'_

His following choice will determine if he lives or dies. No, even if he survives this somehow, he still won't make it outside. He doesn't have a choice here. He will die either way.

The grin on Dr. Stylish's face revealed everything to him. The madman cornered him. He found out that he is from Night Raid!

"What's wrong, Assassin-kun? Not going to_ 'assassinate'_ me?" Stylish turned around completely, now facing the tip of Naruto's katana with confidence.

The blond didn't know what to do. He remained silent as a sign of hesitation.

_'Why now?!'_ The doctor had so many opportunities to stab him in the back. Yet he brought this up only now...

Naruto gripped the katana's handle hard.

_'I don't have a choice but to kill him!'_ His face turned emotionless as he prepared to thrust the blade right through the doctor's head.

***Creaaaak***

"What is the meaning of this?!" The vault opened yet again as a tall-looking man in his late 40s stepped inside. The simple presence of the man made Naruto's body stop functioning. The heavy steps of his stopped as he reached the remaining two person inside the vault.

Spiky blond hair, blue eye. Mixed with the serious look and dark grey armor with a long red cloak, Naruto immediately recognized the man as some noble warrior. His appearance wasn't even required for him to tell this much, the sudden change in the atmosphere was enough for this.

The man's eyes shifted between Stylish, Naruto, and the huge bloodbath what the blond left behind after killing the doctor's minions. His piercing gaze soon landed on the young undercovered assassin with the bloody katana.

"You. Speak up and do it fast! What is your excuse for staining one of the palace's vault in blood?"

A sudden chill ran through the young man's body as he failed to gather the right words to answer the question.

"I-I... I just..." He slowly pulled back his arm and moved the bloody blade back next to his body. His intincts were telling him not to mess with this one. Even though his Shingu refused to work, Naruto could tell the man had a Teigu on him somewhere. _'I can't even speak!'_

Now he lost his chance to attack Stylish and get away. He won't get past him. All that his fellow Jägers teammate needs to say is_ 'assassin'_ and he is dead.

"Oh, that would be my fault, General Budo." Naruto's eyes grew wide as Stylish took the blame. "A thousand pardons, but the Prime Minister ordered me to give this young man a Teigu. Since this area had nothing else except the Teigu itself, this was the perfect opportunity and place to try and see how the boy can use it. My soldiers can clean the place up, so I see no problem here." The doctor bowed though with a sly smile.

"Then maybe there is no further use for your eyes anymore. The palace is no place for you or anyone else to shed blood. That alone would be enough reason for me to get you executed right here and right now. The Training Grounds are there for a reason." The general glared at Stylish.

"Come to think of it. You rarely leave the Training Grounds."

"Don't change the conversation! We are not done here!" Budo raised his voice. "You violated the laws of the Empire by setting up a battle inside the palace. You will receive your punishment tomorrow. The sole reason that you are good friends with the Prime Minister's son won't save you this time."

"Oh my..." Stylish placed his right hand on his cheek with a small smile. He must have been some kind of snake in his previous life.

"And you..." Budo looked back to Naruto who immediately flinched. "To think that the Prime Minister would give you such a disgusting Teigu. So he is planning to throw away his pride and honor..." The general turned around and stepped outside the vault room. "...Not like he had any from the beginning. I will deal with him when the time comes." Naruto barely heard his words before he disappeared from his sight.

Naruto spaced out to shut off the world around him while thinking things through.

_'This guy is on the same level as Esdeath...'_ He grit his teeth._ 'Heh, fuck... To think we have to go through not one but two overpowered __generals. Still, while Esdeath only lets out that scary ass killing intent when she is fighting, this Budo guy always has the __aura of a beast around him. Wonder if I can even scratch him at my current state.'_

Probably not.

"Thinking hard?" Stylish came up to him. The doctor received a disbelieving look from the blond.

"What is up with you? I thought you wanted to blame the whole thing on me... Since you already know that-"

"Know what? Whatever you talking about?" Stylish replied normally. He acted like he haven't said anything before the confrontaion with Budy. "It was obvious for me to take the blame, since it was me who made you to fight. Now, if you excuse me-"

"Stop screwing around!" Naruto yelled as he took a step forward and placed his hand on the previously sheated katana again. He had enough that nobody tells him anything and all he receives are more questions. He is sick of them.

"If you want answers, then why not ask the Prime Minister who has them? Oh, could it be that you don't remember anything and your nickname made you to?"

The conversation ended with Naruto glaring at the doctor's retreating figure.

_'Nickname...? Assassin...?'_

* * *

**Flashback: END**

* * *

Three days after that. All he found out that he somehow got the nickname "Little Assassin" by some stupid imperial guards who kept him in that cell several years ago. He attacked them restlessly to get out of the cell with sneak attacks, playing dead, and more.

What a sorry excuse for Stylish to get out of the coversation. It pissed Naruto off.

There is no way in hell he will ever meet the bastard Prime Minister unless it's time to kill him. Small informations or not. Changing the Empire comes first while his past is less important.

"Hm?"

Now that he thinks about it. What caused his sudden change? He is thinking more and more about changing the Empire now than a month and a half ago. Guess meeting the rotten ministers in the palace caused him to step his game up.

"Kyuuun~"

A voice came from the ground as something just poked his left leg.

"I don't care, leave me alone." Naruto turned hostile towards the little_ 'something'_ what wanted his attention. He kept staring at the pocket watch. "Go find your owner if you want attention."

***Bite***

Something just bit his leg but Naruto remained in his chair like nothing happened.

"Sorry, buddy. Thanks to a crazy ass doctor the other day, my pants are actually there for protection. You can't bite through it now. So without Seryu ordering you to attack, you're pretty much nothing more than a normal dog." He unintentionally released a bit killing intent as he imagined Koro eating Sheele.

"Kyuu..." Koro looked sad and sat down on the ground.

"Not listening..." Naruto closed the pocket watch and released a heavy sigh. He quickly picked up his pen as he wrote down the amount of money the next winner will get with the Jägers' signature.

**"Winner! Nobunaga of the Dry-Goods store!"** He heard Wave announcing the winner of the match.

Perfect timing. Only one paper left on the table now and that means the next match will be the last.

And that could only mean...

"Done!" Naruto stood up from his chair as he remembered the previous hours and how much papers he had to sign... He wished he could somehow clone himself and make them help him in the work but obviously, he can't do something like that.

"Kyuu-"

"No." Even if Koro picked up his own leash, Naruto quickly shot the Teigu down.

Seryu had to do something where she couldn't bring her Teigu so she asked Naruto to take care of Koro. She must have gone to the toilet or something.

The previous three days were pretty much good for Naruto. He talked with Bols, Wave and to his own surprise, Seryu, a lot. He made up his mind that he won't get mad over Sheele's death while she is in her_ 'normal'_ mode. He can't really do much anyway. Naruto actually talked with her like a normal person and he was surprised how different she was compared to her _'justice'_ persona.

A strange thought crossed his mind, thinking that maybe... maybe he could-

_'Of course not.'_ Naruto shook his head.

He looked down at the crying Teigu for a moment before he sighed.

"Fine..."

"Kyu!"

He picked up Koro's leash but the Teigu jumped up to his right shoulder instead and signaled forward as if ordering him to move... Much to his irritation.

_'How easy would it be to just destroy this thing now that nobody looks?'_ He wondered as he opened the door and stepped out of his _'office'_. Naruto handed the necessary paper and to a guard as he took the steps up to the arena.

The guards saluted him as he passed by, something what he just can't get used to. Now that the Jägers are offical, everybody in the Imperial Army knows them including their faces. It will be much harder to move around once Naruto escapes from the palace.

As the blond reached the top of the stairs he had to close his eyes for a moment thanks to being underground for too long. The sunlight was stronger than usual.

"Here I am again." He was at the top floor of the auditorium, above the battleground instead of beneath it. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted Seryu coming right towards him with quick steps.

"Hey Naruto! Thanks for looking after Koro while I was away." She gave him a smile.

"I didn't do much. I had to sign all those papers." He answered truthfully. "I was actually on my way to return him to you, though I'm bit curious, why didn't you bring the Teigu with you?"

"I brought it up to Koro as just a joke first, that I will have you watch over him while I'm gone. To my surprise, he looked fine with the idea so that joke actually turned into reality." She said, making Naruto look at Koro with narrow eyes.

_'I bet my toad wallet that you went along with her just to annoy me...'_ Naruto sent this massage to Koro before realizing how wrong this thought was._ 'Wait, that toad wallet was stolen from me by that kid... Crap, you won this round, doggie.'_ He added a new wallet to his list of things to buy in the near future.

"Kyuu?" Koro looked back at him innocently.

_'Don't _'Kyuu'_ at me and get off my shoulder!'_ He thought.

Seryu took Koro off of Naruto's shoulder and held him close to her chest with both hands. For some reason, Naruto's eyes managed to capture Koro's displeased face when Seryu took him off his shoulder before the Teigu looked normal again... It must have been his imagination.

**"In the east corner! Karubi the Buther!"**

The two looked down to see Wave announcing the next two participants. The guy who stepped up to the battle ground looked like some kind of mix between a human and a wild boar. A demi-human perhaps?

"Oh, I heard about him, he is a 9th level master of the imperial fist, Karubi. At least _was_... until his exommunication thanks to his arrogance." Seryu said it out loud enough for Naruto to hear. "Is this the last match?" She asked.

"Yeah, this next match will feature the final two fighters." Naruto told her as he leaned against the top floor's rail and watched the arena carefully. He already passed down the rest of the work to the guards.

**"In the west corner! Tatsumi the Blacksmith!"** Karubi's opponent stepped up to him as Wave said his name.

_'Finally. A familiar face!'_ Naruto smiled as he saw his childhood friend. From the corner of his eyes, he also spotted Leone and Lubbock eating popcorn not far from him. He obviously can't wave or call out to them since Seryu is here but knowing that they are nearby made him relax a little.

But now is not the time for that... If things go well, he will make his attempt to escape from the Jägers today. It all depends on the winner who receives Extasy. If it will be a dangerous guy, he will get some information about him and leave.

"This doesn't look like a fair fight. Karubi seems far more powerful than that boy." Seryu leaned closer to Naruto to say this as quiet as she could.

"I don't think so." Naruto answered after a couple seconds of silence. "Look at those eyes..." The young woman next to him did as she was told.

"He looks... confident?"

"Yeah... It seems that he is quite confident, and that means he has a trick or two up his sleeve." Naruto finished. Tatsumi indeed looked confident and more mature than he was in the village... No, he didn't have those eyes five days ago so he must have increased his strength over that small period of time. _'Hehe... Damn you, Tatsumi. You must have gotten stronger.'_ The blond grinned.

**"Begin!"** The match started.

The second Wave signaled with his hand, Karubi shot forward with a smug look on his face as he aimed a powerful punch at Tatsumi.

The brown-haired boy crouched down and jumped up at the last moment, avoiding the attack with ease. He turned around in mid-air and kicked at his opponent.

Karubi blocked his kick and proceeded to counter Tatsumi's attack, but his fist got stopped by the boy and he was the one to receive a hard right to his stomach instead. Not taking any chances, the brown-haired boy lowered his stance and kicked Karubi's legs out of him.

Surprised by his sudden loss of balance, the demi-human widened his eyes.

As for Tatsumi's finishing move, he simply jumped up and delivered a hard whirlwind kick to Karubi's face.

It was over in a flash.

"Whoa! You were right, Naruto! That boy is certainly skilled." Seryu looked amazed.

"A-Ah... Well, yeah." The blond scratched the back of his head as he was embarrassed by her sudden praise. Though he felt like an ass for some reason... He knew about Tatsumi's skills after all.

**"The match is over! The winner is Tatsumi!"** Wave declared with the microphone close to his mouth.

Moments later, everyone as well as Naruto started to clap and cheer for Tatsumi who looked surprised by this before he smiled.

A sudden chill then run through Naruto's body as he saw his smile. _'Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'_

"Oh, the captain is going down to him!" Seryu pointed towards Esdeath who made her way down the stairs.

"What, is she going to hand over the money herself?"

"Seems like it."

"Kyuun!"

The two watched as their leader searched through her uniform while saying someting to Tatsumi. Naruto wondered if Tatsumi will be the lucky one to get Extasy. That would make things far more simple.

***Click***

The audience suddenly stopped cheering as a loud clicking sound echoed through the arena. All the eyes were fixed on Tatsumi. To be more precise, they stared at his neck.

"..." Naruto paled as his lower jaw cracked then fell off.

Instead of money, Tatsumi received a dog collar around his neck.

_'WHAT THE HEEEELL?!'_ Remembering where Lubbock and Leone sat, Naruto turned his head towards them seeing that both looked back to him with the same, shocked expression.

Everyone watched helplessly as Tatsumi got dragged away by Esdeath. Seeing him struggle, the blue-haired woman swiftly knocked him out.

"N-Naruto, could it be that the captain..." The Queen of Justice sounded awkward.

"Yeah... the captain just found her partner in love..." A look of horror took over his face.

* * *

**Two Hours Later.**  
**Jägers Headquarters.**  
**Conference Room.**

* * *

_'What kind of crazy joke is this...?! Two Night Raid members managed to infiltrate the enemy ranks by pure luck! And not even at the same time.'_ Naruto looked like he haven't slept in a week. His skin was pale and he had a sarcastic smile on his face.

Tatsumi was tied up on a chair before him and all the Jägers formed a wall in front him. Both Tatsumi and Naruto stared at each other awkwardly like this was a nightmare. Thank god that he managed to inform the others that he is with the Jägers. Otherwise, Tatsumi would have shouted bloody murder.

The blond quickly whispered _'Not a word'_ from the distance to Tatsumi before Esdeath came in the room and immediately walked up to the brown-haired boy.

"And so... this is the newest addition to the Jägers, Tatsumi." Esdeath introduced him to everyone.

"You dragged in one of the populace, just like that?" Bols asked, rather shocked about how easily she_ 'abducted'_ him.

"Now, he'll no longer have to live in poverty. And he isn't just an extra man for our group either... I felt it." Esdeath smiled as she looked down at Tatsumi. "Tatsumi is the one who will become my partner in love."

_'And here I was, worried about how Leone-chan would tear me a new one if Esdeath took an interest in me.'_ Naruto just didn't bother to even ask anything.

"So why does he have a collar around his neck, then?" Wave though did.

"...Because he's become my lover, of course. And I want him to stand out." Esdeath shrugged with her shoulders.

"Well, if you want him to be your official lover, and not your pet, shouldn't you remove it in order to be a difference?" Run joined to Wave.

Seeing their point, the blue-haired woman took off the chains and ropes, freeing the boy. She also asked if any of the members are married or have any lovers. There was an awkward silence before Bols raised his hand and talked about his wife and daughter to everyone.

"Umm... Excuse me..." Tatsumi finally spoke up. "I'm really happy that you've taken a liking to me and all, but... I'm not really interested in working for the Imperial Court, so..."

"Fufu. It will likely take a bit of training to get you to be obedient, hmmm."

"Please listen to what's being said to you!" Tatsumi shouted back.

This went on for a while until Seryu stepped up and walked closer to Tatsumi.

"Now, now, everyone. He's just confused, it's a lot to take in all at once." The girl said as Tatsumi finally recognized her. While the brown-haired boy haven't met her in person, he already heard Naruto's report from Leone and Lubbock. Seryu, the person who killed Sheele is also part of the Jägers. Matched with the description Mine gave them, Tatsumi recognized her instantly.

"Wait, wait, wait..." A hand stopped Seryu from approaching Tatsumi. Sensing the danger, Naruto quickly stopped her. Tatsumi might have had done something suspicious with her in front of him. "Maybe we should just take things slow and explain a thing or two to him, alright?" He placed his previously reached out hand on her shoulder. No doubt that Seryu wanted to pat his head.

"If you say so... I just only wanted to introduce myself to him though." She actually pouted.

_'Crap, I should have chosen my words more carefully.'_ An idea then hit him as he thought about a certain pink-haired girl and her attitude. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away from her with a loud _'Hmph'_. "Well, you would have only given him weird ideas if you patted his head anyway."

From Mine with love... Tsundere mode: **On.**

"Oh, I see what the problem is..." Seryu smiled as she reached up with one hand and patted the top of Naruto's head before stepping back to the others.

The rest watched with wide eyes and amused smiles.

Thanks to Naruto covering him from the others, Tatsumi gave his friend a shocked looked with his mouth open. Not because he acted like Mine but because he actually received good points from the Queen of Justice. The rest of the members also didn't mind this.

_'Stop staring at me! I'm trying to act and save your ass!'_ Naruto stared back at Tatsumi with a frustrated expression.

Come to think of it, the reason why Naruto threw away the idea of escaping was because Tatsumi is here.

***Bamm!***

The door shut open as a soldier stepped inside, doing his best to catch his breath.

"Esdeath-sama!" He brought up a piece of paper in front of him and saluted. "As ordered, I've finished the report regarding the area around Gyogan Lake..."

A small smile formed on the general's face.

"Great... This timing is perfect." The woman said as the others already knew what this was all about. "You guys, your first big job has come up!" Everyone except Tatsumi turned serious, including Naruto.

One day ago, Esdeath announced that the Empire have come to learn about a fortress that's being inhabited by a group of bandits near Gyogan Lake. At the briefing, Seryu also added that she and her squad at the Imperial Guard also suspected that they had some sort of refuge on the outskirts of the Capital. Though there were little to no information about its location.

"We're delaying the search for the location of Night Raid for a short while. For now, we should deal with enemies we can see." Tatsumi sighed in relief at Esdeath's words.

"And if the enemy should surrender, what should we do?" Bols asked.

"Surrender is a tool of the weak... and it's nature's course that the weak be removed from the world."

While most of them agreed to that, some still questioned wether it is really true or not.

"Aha... Ahaha." Seryu perked up. "To be able to slaughter evil-doers before they can commit evil... I am truly glad I've become a part of this group."

At the back of the room...

"Say, Naruto... Isn't this a little-" Wave whispered.

"Weird? Yeah. I'm with you on that one." Naruto though quickly answered as Seryu and Esdeath had their own bonding time.

"Naruto." A voice reached the blond's ears. He turned away from the big table where the Jägers placed all the information about the mission.

"What's wrong, Kurome?" He saw that Kurome's giving him a cute glare as if he have forgotten something.

"Did you get it?" She asked.

"..." Naruto stayed silent until he finally remembered. "Oooh, sure!" He reached into his pockets and pulled out a bag of sweets. "Sorry, I forgot because of all the commotion. Here." He handed them over to her.

"Thanks." Kurome gave him a small smile before going back to lean against the wall. Since she couldn't come to the arena, she asked Naruto to get some sweets for her.

Moments later, Esdeath looked up at each of them with a serious look.

"I have one thing I'd like to tell you before we move out. Each of you will be reqired to eliminate dozens of people. This is the type of work we will be doing from this point forward. Are you fully prepared for that?" Her eyes first turned over to Bols, who said that a soldier's job is to follow orders. Even if it means he must kill.

Kurome was the same. She always completed her jobs without question no matter what kind they were.

The next one was Wave. He said that he was able to join the navy due to the patronage of a certain great man. That's why he can do this, even if it means his life.

Run said something about achieving his dreams and that he should rise higher and higher. For the sake of his dreams come to frution, he will do anything.

As for the doctor.

"Doctor, I heard that Budo is preparing your punishment as we speak. He told me about what happened at the vault and I don't really care, but you have to sit this one out with _'Perfector'_." Esdeath told him.

"What a cruel world we live in..." The mad scientist looked heart-broken.

_'You are finally right about one thing.'_ Naruto smiled carefully not to show it to anyone. He did his best to avoid Stylish in the past couple days. For some reason, he acted way weirder than normal. The blond silently noted the name of Stylish's Teigu, Perfector.

"How about you, Naruto?" Esdeath formed a small smirk with her lips. No doubt that she wanted to make sure about Naruto's determination.

The blond in question gave her a calculative look. The woman wanted his answer regarding the missions they are going to take in the near future. She receives her orders directly from the Prime Minister, so if he says that they should eliminate a stray cat a few blocks away from the Palace, they have to since his orders are absolute.

_'In other words, will I throw myself in the well if I'm ordered to... huh?'_ He crossed his arms. _'My common sense as an assassin and an enemy of the Empire prevents me to even consider trying to follow the fat bastard's orders...'_ Naruto bit his lower lip. _'...But I'll die if I falter.'_

An important deceison lies ahead of him. As the room around him froze in his mind, his eyes analyzed each of the individuals inside. Esdeath, the ruthless yet somehow incredible woman who sees the weak in the form of a cockroach. Kurome, the silent swordsman who is the perfect counterpart of her sister, Akame. Run, the well-mannered but mysterious man. Bols, the the man who is kind to his teammate but brutal against his enemies. Seryu, the girl who is somehow always around him, trying to become his friend. Wave, the first person on the Empire's side he can call a friend.

And Tatsumi, his friend and true teammate, who just like him, an enemy of the Empire.

"Hahaha..." He let out a dark chuckle._ 'She will most likely recognize if I try to lie.'_

Two assassins in enemy territory with no means to call for backup. The enemy doesn't suspect a thing... at least for now... yet they can't act. The only option they have is to escape but that's out of the question at the moment.

This is the first time he felt such an excitement.

_'I sure don't want to die.'_ He thought with a smile on his face as he released a deep breath. His mind erased everything and everyone inside the room, leaving only Esdeath and him standing in front of each other. _'Alright, let's play a game, Esdeath. For this one mission, I'll force back all of my reasonings and the fact that I'm your enemy into the back of my head. For this one mission, I'm going to act as a true member of the Jägers.'_

He made his deceison with a loud snicker.

Breath in...

Breath out...

"Bandits..." The cogwheels of time started their work again as Naruto stared at Esdeath with a smug look. "Captain, two of my childhood friends were killed because we got seperated by bandits. I'd be more than happy to erase those guys who make the people experience seeing their friends and families death. You say bandits and I grab the nearest weapon. You say kill and I say how many. This is how I think about this." All of his words were filled with seriousness.

Tatsumi felt the sudden change in his friend but opening his eyes wide was the only thing he did. Naruto was now a completely different person than a few moments ago.

"Umu. Excellent. No doubts among you all then... That's good." She turned on her heels and made her way to the door. After Esdeath adjusted her cap, she gave the order to her subordinates. "Then it's time to head out!"

Each member of the Jägers followed her without hesitation including Naruto, who had an emotionless look as he walked after his new boss. At the same time, still sitting on the chair, Tatsumi worriedly watched as his friend left with his supposed enemies. He didn't understand his previous speech. The brown-haired boy couldn't detect the smallest trace of Naruto faking it. His words sounded so certain and honest. In a way he literally told Esdeath that he would kill as many people as he can.

This was the first time he questioned him about such a thing.

"Let's go, Tatsumi." Esdeath said as she was now standing on the door-step.

"Eh... me too?!"

* * *

**Gyogan Lake.**  
**Near the Bandits' Base.**  
**Night.**

* * *

***Sigh***

Naruto sighed as he closed his pocket watch after checking to see if a miracle happened. Sadly, the Teigu was still _'broken'_. It annoyed him how he can't use it even though he was able to at the Palace. Stylish kept his mouth shut and refused to tell him anything regarding the small piece of accessory.

"Hmm? Is that your Teigu, Naruto?" Wave asked as he saw his teammate holding the pocket watch with a defeated expression. The boy was curious what Naruto's Teigu is.

"Yeah, but only on papers." The blond grabbed the pocket watch's chain and showed the Teigu to Wave. He doesn't really know what it's ability really is, so it wouldn't reveal anything if he shows it to him.

"Only on papers?" Wave repeated, not understanding what he meant by this.

"I can't use it. Technically, the Teigu is mine but it makes me wonder if it really does belong to me. Seeing that it doesn't respond to my calling, it's nothing more than a broken bijou." He pulled the chain back and put the pocket watch inside his blue jacket.

"It's been only three days. Don't worry, I'm sure you can figure it out." Wave tried to cheer him up.

Right now, all of the Jägers with the exception of Stylish are heading towards the enemy's base camp, a fortress. Tatsumi and Esdeath stayed behind because the woman wanted to see what they are really capable of and that automatically meant that she was taking Tatsumi with her.

"I... kinda pity the new guy..." The Man of the Sea whispered loud enough for Naruto to hear. "You know, he was dragged away by force without having to say anything about it, he was also forced to become part of our team... It must be rough for him." He looked down.

"He was not the only one." Naruto commented.

"Ah, sorry. I just haven't seen you putting up any resistence at all." It was true. Wave didn't see Naruto having trouble in these past days.

"Maybe I'm a good actor?" The blond placed both of his hands behind his head as Wave sweatdropped. "Jokes aside, I'm good at adapting to nearly all kinds of situations. Though, I can't say I'm happy." He took a moment to look at Kurome's back who walked in front of the two along with the others.

Wave saw Naruto's painful look and decided to speak up. "Say, I know you told me about Kurome and how the two of you know each other since years. Is she-"

"Yes..." Naruto quickly cut him off. "The reason why I'm depressed is because of her, yes. I remember being so close to her when we were younger, but now... she won't even speak to me longer than three minutes and acts as if I'm a complete stranger. I just don't know why." Childhood friends should stick together, is what he was thinking about.

"After almost a week, I know that she likes to stay quiet for most of the time. That doesn't necessarily mean that she sees you as a stranger though." Wave told him with a small smile.

"I know. I also know that it was the Empire what made her personality change." Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"This conversation again..." It was more frustrating than intriguing to Wave after the time Naruto showed him the state of the Capital.

"You can't say I'm wrong here." The blond told him.

An awkward silence followed after the conversation for a good ten minutes before they arrived at their destination. A huge forest surrounds the fortress the bandits are staying in. They decided to just walk up to the main gate without hiding their presence.

"Here we are." Run said as the group arrived at the first step of a long stairway. No doubt that it leads them to the fortress. "We've memorized the layout and enemy positions, so what kind of strategy should we use?" He asked.

"Justice demands that we fight fair and square..." Seryu walked up to the front pulling Koro along. "...And attack from the front!" While she was confident in her skills, the others thought another method would be more sufficient but they stayed quiet.

"Head-on battle it is then." Naruto placed a hand on the still sheated katana on his hip as he followed his teammates up the stairs. Stylish said that he is not a fan of long blades and that he can keep the weapon if he want it.

The Jägers quickly reached the top of the stairway, walking slowly as if this would be just a midnight tea party.

"What should we do if we find survivors? They are bandits who are not afraid to kidnap people, after all." Bols asked the whole team for an answer they all agree of.

"We rescue them of course. We are supposed to be a special police force, right?" They all agreed with Naruto and stopped in front of the gate.

It was quiet but everyone knew that the enemy already spotted them.

"...Enemy." Kurome narrowed her eyes as the gate opened and then bandits swarmed the area in front of them.

Each of them pointed their weapons at the small group. "You guys have some nerve attacking from the front like this! You don't really think you're going to be getting out of here alive, do you?!" Guns, blades, crossbows, the bandits had everything they needed to take out intruders.

Some had their eyes filled with lust upon seeing Seryu and Kurome.

"Oh, wow~ There are some real cuties with them, huh?" Seryu crossed her arms under her chest with a frown and Kurome looked uninterested. One of them stepped forward way too far from the rest, droll escaping from his mouth. "We're really going to have some fun with them when we take them back to base, hahaha- Guaaah!" The bandit at the front quickly found himself in mid-air as his legs were kicked out from under him.

***Snap***

It happened in an instant.

"Ahhh!" He was now pinned down to the ground with his face down and arms up in the air.

"Again with the rape..." The bandit looked back to see a young man with blonde hair mixed with a red lock standing on top of him with one leg and holding both of his arms up in the air. Naruto pushed the bandit's arms a little forward, dislocating his shoulders.

"Guaaah!"

The rest of the bandits watched with wide eyes. They blinked and their friend was already on the ground. Their brains were unable to keep up with the speed.

"Why can't you idiots have fun with yourselves?" Naruto glared at the unlucky guy under his feet with a great amount of killing intent surrounding him. "Koro!" The blond pulled the man up by his dislocated arms and threw him straight back to Seryu's Teigu.

"Kyuun!" The Teigu happily stepped forward and opened his now oversized mouth and devoured the bandit in one go.

"...Eh?" Seryu's eyes opened wide as her Teigu actually listened to Naruto. The girl then shook her head, walking up to Naruto and looking back to Koro. "First, let me clear a path with the combined power of the Doctor's Teigu and myself." She reached out with her right hand. "Koro, number five!"

Koro's whole body grew oversized as he took Seryu's whole right arm into his mouth.

The girl with the auburn hair color then looked at her teammate next to her. "Naruto..."

"I know, do your magic." He quickly cut her off and took a couple steps back. "Serve justice." He told her and the girl gave him a small smile. Right now, Naruto is not an assassin but a Jäger.

"Judgement of the Ten Kings." Seryu pulled out her hand from Koro's mouth but instead her prosthetic limb, a large drill like weapon stood in its place. "Enma's Spear of Justice!" She pierced through the schocked enemies in no time while Koro devoured the rest.

Naruto walked back to the others with his eyes fixed on Seryu and her new weapons. Stylish mentioned that he was the one who gave the young woman her new arms so it's possible that those weapons are his doing.

"I'm glad that Dr. Do-No-Harm stayed at home." He mutterred.

"D... Do-No-Harm?" Wave sweatdropped.

"It's sarcasm." Naruto looked at him with a stoic look.

"I get that but why give him such a nickname?"

***Boooom!***

All five of them turned their head, seeing that Seryu destroyed the main gate with a huge cannon.

"She certainly does have the ability to annihilate them, doesn't she?" Run said with a smile. "That reminds me, the two of you seem close, Naruto-san."

"Hey, Kurome! Wait for me!" Naruto ran after her before he could hear Run and the two entered the fortress.

The rest stayed behind for a while until Wave too made up his mind and went after them.

* * *

**Inside the Fortress.**  
**Meeting Room.**

* * *

Deep inside the fortress in the main building stood the leader of the bandits. A white-skinned man with black hair that hangs over his left eye. He wears a variation of an imperial soldier's uniform, modified to have coattails that go past his waist, and left open to reveal the black undershirt he has on.

The man looked down in front of him, staring at a young man with short black hair and reddish brown eyes. His outfit which consists of a plain black T-shirt and pants and dark brown shoes were now with full of holes thanks to the torture he had to go through.

"I shall praise you for enduring the torture, young adventurer. Still not going to talk?" Asked the bandits' boss with his eyes closed in a gentle tone, most likely to show the prisoner his fake kindness who had his arms tied to a pillar behind him.

"..." The adventurer remained quiet. This angered the seemingly patient man before him.

"What did you say your name was?"

"L-Legu...na..." The prisoner gave the man a weak glare as he tried to free himself from the chains.

"So Leguna, care to tell us where your friends are, especially the young boy who killed one of my men?" He kneeled down and put a hand on the adventurer's head. "He is the reason you suffer right now, because you had to protect him and sacrifice yourself for such a foolish brat. Now where is he?!"

***Cough* *Cough*** "Sa... Say what you want... but your thugs... attacked us first... we simply-"

***Stomp***

"GUAAAAH!" Leguna cried out in pain as the leader stomped on his already broken leg. He grit his teeth and continued to glare at the person who ruined his and his friends life. No doubt that the bandits who killed several members of his party served under him. "Just how low can this country fall..."

"Listen well, you dog. The heads of those who oppose me ends up on my bedroom's wall." He put more strength into his leg to further increase the adventurer's pain.

Five other person, most likely the leader's bodyguards, watched the scene with a smile on their faces from the other side of the area.

"Now then. Tell me what I want to know or I'll throw you back into your cell."

***Bamm***

Before he could continue, the meeting room's door bursted open, revealing a heavy breathing bandit who could barely even stand from the wounds on his body.

"I-It's a raid!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "The enemy breached our defenses and destroyed the main gate! They are heading here as I speak!" He stopped as he coughed up blood.

"What did you say?!" The bandits' leader couldn't believe it. "Who dares?! What about their numbers?!" He yelled back.

"S-Sir! W-We don't know who they are! A girl with black hair just killed thirty of our people with only a katana!" The guard used his remaining strength to answer.

Leguna's eyes widened as he looked up to the ceiling, barely noticing the unknown presence above.

"Black hair and a katana..." The leader repeated. "They can't be... Night Raid?!" As the name of the famous assassin group left his mouth, each of his guards looked up in horror. "How is this possible?! We are not inside the Capital!"

***Whooooosh***

The unforgiving, freezing wind whipped and gushed around him.

They were here.

"Huh?!"

***Stab***

The man noticed the intruder above him but it was too late. All he could see was the gleam of the cold blade what soon took his life, going through his chest before pinning him down to the ground. Blood escaped from the small but deadly wound as it splashed around the area yet avoided the person who was responsible for the attack.

"Assassination... complete." The assassin's blue eyes scanned the meeting room completely in less then a second and he acted according to that. He pulled out his blade from the body under him.

***Gsshink***

He cut off the chains from Leguna's arms in blink of an eye and turned to face the bodyguards.

"W-Who the hell are you?!" Yelled one of them.

The young man with blonde hair pointed to his left and the bodyguards were shocked to see that the messenger foot soldier was now down on the ground, dead. Behind the corpse stood a woman with black hair and a bloodied katana in her hand.

"N-Night... Raid?! The Night Raid is here?!" One of the five took a step back.

Meanwhile, hearing what the man just said, Naruto scratched the back of his head with a tired look. He was deep in thought.

_'Should I go with the cliché monologue and give them the scare? Nah, that wouldn't be true at the moment.'_ The blond took a lazy stance as he put a hand on his hip. "We are no Night Raid. We are a unique force within the Empire. Organized and tasked to mercilessly hunt down and eliminate atrocious grops of enemies like you... We are the Special Police Force, the Jägers." Naruto declared.

First, the bodyguards looked surprised, then all of them smirked. "What? Just empire scum? Here I was, shitting my pants that the big-shots were after our heads."

_'Oooh, I already love this!'_ Naruto smiled internally, knowing that little something what he left out of his speech. "Kurome-chan! Can I leave the others outside to you?" He called out to his teammate who nodded but not before giving him a cute glare for the quick _'chan'_ what was added to her name.

"...Got it." She turned around and left.

Naruto smiled as everything was going according to plan. Thanks to a bandit outside, he managed to find a secret passage into the meeting room. With that knowledge he was able to easily assassinate the leader, confusing the rest of the tropps now that they were without a boss.

"U-Um... I..." Leguna tried to find the right words what he could use in this situation, but he was stunned by the person in front of him. There are five dangerous people before him and yet he acts as if they are not even there.

"Welcome..." Naruto cut him off. "...to this hellhole of a country." He turned around and faced the adventurer with a serious look. "Can you hide?"

"My... My leg is broken..." Leguna looked down with an apologetic look.

"I see." Naruto nodded. "Don't worry, we will get you out of here in no time." He gave him a reassuring grin.

"Thank... you?" Leguna tilted his head.

"Now then!" He turned back to the bodyguards. "Any of you willing to go to prison?" He asked them with a lazy attitude.

"You little shit! We will teach you a lesson! You made the wrong decision today!" Each of the five pulled out their swords from their sheats.

"Hard way it is then." Naruto brought up the katana what he got from Stylish and gripped its handle with both hands as he closed his eyes. Meanwhile, the enemies ran forward with murderous intent.

The scene before him...

This feeling...

He experienced this once before. Five guards against him, alone.

_'I remember now. This is just like on that mission with Bulat. That woman also had five highly trained guards.'_

Time slowed down as the enemies were now right in front of him. He has to protect the guy behind him, so he can't dodge or get out of their way.

Breath in...

Breath out...

_'Let's clean up!'_

Naruto followed the arc of the first blade and predicted the place it's going to touch perfectly. He moved his body slightly to the left and reached out to his right with the katana, seeing that the first guard's neck was wide open.

***Cut***

He sliced the man's throat with one clean slash and moved on to his second opponent.

The next guard tried to stab Naruto but his sword was already parried before it could reach half the way to its desired destination.

***Slash***

He too received the same fate as the previous man.

The third one was more tricky, trying to do a feint. It was a competition between their speed. The one who was faster could deal the finishing blow. Sadly, speed is Naruto's speciality, the guard had no chance to survive the blade to his chest.

***Stab***

The fourth and fifth attacked him at the same time from opposite sides. Choosing his next target carefully, Naruto turned his whole body to the guard on his left.

He didn't hold back. What good is keeping energy in reserve? Underestimating your enemy is not something he can allow himself.

Naruto's mind was overloaded with images. He surely got faster but even that wouldn't be enough to counter both of the blades coming for his neck.

His Shingu is useless. He lost the ability to use it the moment he got his Teigu. Coincidence? Who knows...

But what he is about to do is his current limit.

Instead of blocking the guard's sword in front of him, he simply brought up his katana and aimed it to the man's right hand. With a quick push, he cut off the guard's hand, making the sword escaping from the grip of his floating hand. Ducking his head down to avoid the blade coming from behind him, Naruto grabbed the shortswrod in mid-air and slashed behind without looking. Just as he thought, the last guard behind him was within reach and the shortsword's blade cut his throat as it drawn its arc.

"AAAH!" The last guard who had his hand cut off dropped down to his knees as he stared at the spot where his right hand was supposed to be. He will die in less then in less than fifteen minutes if Naruto leaves him like this. "Y-You... imperial demon scum..." The guard said between two scream.

Naruto stared at the man with pity and sadness in his eyes as he let his words sink in.

Imperial. Demon.

_'I'm...'_

***Slash***

He didn't want to let the man suffer further as he gave him the killing blow. Naruto looked away as the guard's body fell to the ground.

_'I'm stronger now, Bulat. I've come so far in just one and a half month. But...'_ The blond looked down to the bloody shortsword in his left hand and dropped it down with his shaking hand._ '...there were so many things I wanted to ask from you.'_ Naruto turned around to see the adventurer he saved look back at him with fear in his eyes.

The fresh blood on Naruto's clothes made him look like a monster in Leguna's eyes even if he is his savior.

_'What should I do, Bulat? The people are afraid of me now...'_

* * *

**One Hour Later.**  
**Outside.**  
**Inside the Forest.**

* * *

"I'm back..." Naruto said emotionlessly as he regrouped with Esdeath and the others. He was the last one to arrive, so the group left the moment he reached them.

"Kurome filled me in that you eliminated the leader." Esdeath said with an amused smile. "You also rescued a survivor, good work." Even though Esdeath praised him, she didn't wait for a reply as she turned away from him.

"T-Thank you very much..." Naruto answered with his head lowered.

He stayed with the rescued survivor until the soldiers arrived from the Empire. He was the one who saved Leguna, still, the expression the adventurer showed him and the soldiers were way too different. He kept shivering when Naruto checked his wounds but the moment the imperial people entered the meeting room, he smiled happily.

Naruto's mood was crushed.

It was then that the blond realized Wave and Tatsumi were by his side. The two used this time to get to know each other.

"Naruto, have you talked with Tatsumi yet?" Wave said with a smile. "He says he is also from a far away village, just like you. The two of you seem to have a lot in common."

Naruto turned his head to look at Tatsumi, who looked nervous since they already knew each other. The blond took a deep breath to erase the previous few hours from his brain.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Naruto. Umm, let's get along." He sounded way too awkward but still reached out with his right hand.

"S-Same here. My name Tatsumi." Tatsumi shook the hand in front of him nervously.

"..."

The conversation ended. Wave walked cluelessly between the two with a question mark above his head.

"Captain." Naruto called out to Esdeath who currently had a long conversation with Bols. He looked into her eyes as soon as her attention was on him. "Can I stay in the shopping district for a while after we get back? I need to clear my mind with something."

The young woman stared at him with her ice-cold eyes before she nodded. "I don't mind, but you look like someone who is about to fall asleep. I advise you to take someone with you just in case your destination would be a pub." She looked behind to choose who to go with him. "Kuro-"

"It's fine, I'd rather avoid the alcohol for a while anyway." Naruto quickly cut her off. His relationship with Kurome is not the best at the moment. Forcing her to go with him would be bad enough.

"Have it your way then but I expect you at the Palace in two hours after you leave." She then turned back to Bols and continued where they left off.

Behind the group, Naruto let out a tired sigh. It was now that he realized how tired he was. All the stress of being undercover really gives him hell. He is too tired to even protest. Naruto thanked his own luck that Esdeath was focused on Tatsumi. She most likely would have said no to Naruto staying behind if he wasn't here.

"I just need a book..." Naruto released a deep breath in defeat.

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Shopping District.**  
**Evening.**

* * *

With his eyes half-closed, a tired Naruto walked through the crowded streets of the Capital until he arrived in front of Lubbock's shop. Thankfully, it was still open even though it was late.

The blond stepped inside the shop. He already took off his blue jacket before he set foot in the Capital. Since it was soaked in blood, he couldn't just walk in it in front of the civilians. Not like that would be a strange sight or anything, on the contrary, it not that rare to see bloodsoaked clothes on the streets.

"Welcome. Glad you remembered the date." Lubbock greeted him with a wave as he moved around the counter. Him and Naruto planned a meeting today. The blond first thought that he should just skip it and go with the Jägers, but with the whole Tatsumi-business, he have to discuss a thing or two with Night Raid.

"Yo. Sorry, but I might fall asleep in any second." Naruto said.

Lubbock walked back to the door and turned the sign on it to _'closed'_ before locking the door. He told Naruto to go down to the hideout where they can discuss what happened in the morning.

Both took a seat around a table.

"How long can you stay here?" The green-haired teen asked.

"I have two hours, but it will take me at least fifty minutes to get back in my half-asleep state." Naruto rubbed his eyes. The Capital is huge.

"Then let's keep this short. We planned this meeting only if you decided to stay for a little longer. I guess the reason for that was because of Tatsumi, right?"

"Yeah, I can't just leave him alone with them." He answered. "I can't even talk with him freely because Esdeath is always around him."

"Jeez. I can't believe it, but I have to say that I don't want to be in his place." Lubbock sweatdropped. "It still pisses me off though..."

Naruto then talked about the mission they had just a few hours ago. He also told his friend about the Teigu the Jägers have with the exception of Wave. He just can't figure out his Teigu other than it is a sword. Not without his Shingu.

He managed to see Bols' flamethrower Teigu and Run's wing Teigu while he was on his way to eliminate the bandits' leader.

When he finished with his report, fourty minutes have already passed.

"Seems like you have it rough too."

"Can't deny it, I'm more exhausted than normal because of the stress." Naruto's eyes almost shut. "How are you guys? It hasn't even been a week but it already feels like a month since I last set foot in Night Raid."

"As you can guess, we are two men short. With Najenda-san also away, our effectiveness decreased a lot. Akame-chan is the acting leader for the time being." Lubbock explained. "So, when will you guys return?"

"..." Naruto slapped himself on the cheek. He was dead tired. "We can't escape from the Palace that's for sure. Today's mission would have been a good opportunity, but Esdeath monopolized Tatsumi." The blond placed a hand on his forehead before he stood up. "Alright, it's time for me to go, I won't be able to keep my eyes open for long."

"I still don't understand how you can go back there..." Lubbock followed him upstairs.

"I can't leave Tatsumi alone with them. Even if we can't talk freely, the presence of a friend surely helps."

"But for how long? Your cover might fail any minute. Tatsumi is different because Esdeath is probably all over him, but she would execute you without hesitation."

"That's why..." Naruto sighed. "I'd like to escape the next time we go on a mission." He then remembered something important he left out from his explanation. "Oh, before I forget." He searched his pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. "As I said before, here is my Teigu. Its name is Pendulum, but I can't use it no matter how I try." He handed it over to Lubbock who checked it. "I managed to use it once, but that's all and that crazy doctor refused to tell me anything."

"Hmm..." The green-haired boy opened then closed the pocket watch and gave it back to Naruto. "It does look familiar, so there might be some information in our book back at the base. I'll check it for the next time we meet."

"That would be awesome and I hope the next time we meet... it will be inside the base."

Lubbock then looked up in surprise as he rushed back down in a hurry. Moments later, he showed up with a fancy carrier-bag in his hand.

"Here."

"This..." Naruto looked at the bag with a curious expression as his friend handed it over to him. Did he just receive a present? He stared at Lubbock with disgust. "Sorry, I know you miss me but I don't swing that way even if you give me present..."

"It's not from me! Hagh, I'll seriously beat you!" He yelled back. "Anyway, tommorrow is supposed to be an important day for you, right?"

"Important...?"

"Leone said that it's your birthday."

"?!" Naruto's eyes grew wide. "My..." How could he forget something like that? "W-Well... it's not my real birthday. Since I couldn't remember anything beside my name and age, my foster father told me to decide a day for my birthday. I chose the day when he rescued me and brought to the village." He had a far away look. "How did she remember it anyway? I only told her once."

"Still, 20 huh? That's a nice round number, too bad we can't throw a party."

Naruto shook his head with a small smile. "I don't need one." He looked down to the bag. "Still, I'm grateful. Can you send my thanks to her?"

"Will do. Tch, I'm sure you will find your head between her cleavage when you come back." He muttered the last part.

"I don't think I can sneak out again like today. I saw how Esdeath narrowed her eyes when I asked for permission to stay behind."

"Can't say much other than to keep a low profile. Remember, if you get caught, Tatsumi might do something to save you, blowing his own cover." Lubbock unlocked the door for him.

"I keep that in mind." Naruto opened the door and stepped outside. Lubbock still needs to take care of the shop and close properly, so he will stay behind. "Then I'm going..." Naruto waved before he yawned.

"Try not to return too soon... You know, being the only man back at base feels like I have my own harem." A perverted smile formed on the green-haired teen's face.

"Thanks for the info. Boss will surely be happy after hearing this from me." Naruto turned around with a sly smile.

"You wouldn't dare...!" He heard Lubbock shouting after him but decided to simply reply with the wave of his hand.

The still crowded and highlighted streets of the Capital were vivid as always even at this hour. As Naruto passed through the people, he kept glancing down to the bag in his right hand. He was way too curious not to see what he got from Leone. It's not appropriate to open your presents before your birthday, but tomorrow is not exactly his real birthday.

One peek wouldn't hurt... would it?

Naruto looked inside the bag.

"Huh...?" It wasn't a wrapped up present people would normally get for special occasions.

Naruto's first guess would have been a sake bottle or some alcoholic drinks but he was surprised to see that he was wrong. Be it a present or a gift, he would never refuse what a person buys or makes for him.

"This is..." He reached down to the bottom and grabbed the piece of fabric what was sitting inside the bag.

A short orange scarf.

Naruto's tiredness vanished as he pulled out his present. He couldn't help but stare at it as the whole world around him disappeared. Even when he stopped in the middle of the street, the rest of the people just simply walked around him. The blond didn't even mind it when someone bumped into him.

His lips formed a small but grateful smile as he wrapped the scarf tightly around his neck. It was short, maybe the same length as Wave's but he could care less about that.

If the others among the Jägers would look suspiciously at him he can just say that he bought it.

Without a single word, Naruto stepped forward and left the crowded street.

* * *

**Jägers Headquarters.**  
**Hallway.**  
**Near Midnight.**

* * *

Upon entering the building, Naruto didn't look surprised when no one greeted him. If he could make a guess here, he would say that everyone is already asleep.

As usual, Stylish is nowhere to be found, and Bols is probably with his family by now.

A sweatdropp rolled down Naruto's face as he remembered how he and Esdeath worked together to get Bols to eat with them. The two were a really weird combination. In the end, they succeeded and the_ 'Gentle Giant'_ took off his mask, revealing his face to the others.

"Wait... I should be sleeping now, not overloading my brain." He sighed as he walked through the hallway and up the stairs.

He wondered what room is Tatsumi's.

"What should I do..."

Naruto heared a familiar voice when he reached the stairs what lead to Kurome's and Seryu's floor. He heard the sound of light footsteps so he stood by the stairs.

"Peeping is Lubba's speciality, not yours..." He raised an eyebrow as he saw Tatsumi walking down the stairs like a zombie.

The brown-haired boy blushed from the embarrassment as he saw his friend.

"N-Naruto...? You're back." He reached to end of the stairs and walked up to Naruto.

"Yeah, I told Lubba that you are fine and Esdeath doesn't suspect a thing." The blond whispered as quietly as he could before motioning Tatsumi to follow him to his room.

Inside Naruto's room, the two sat down, Naruto onto his bed and Tatsumi onto a chair. The two stayed silent for a good ten minutes. Even if the others are asleep, they can't be too sure.

"U-Umm, how could this happen..." Tatsumi said with his eyes closed and anime tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Our luck saved us this time." Naruto mimicked him. "There is so many things I want to ask but first, how the hell did Esdeath fall in love with you?"

"I-I don't know! I was so nervous that I spaced out, everything is blurry." Tatsumi placed a hand on his face then to his lips. "B-But she really does like me..."

Naruto stared at him with a stoic look.

"Huh?"

"She... kissed me..." Tatsumi's face reddened drastically. "I nearly lost myself."

***Crack!***

Naruto's lower jaw dropped down to the floor.

"She kissed you after twelve hours?" He got up from his bed and placed both of his hands on Tatsumi's shoulders. "Now I'm pissed! And I thought Lubba's overreacting!" Naruto kept shaking him furiously.

"Stop." Tatsumi pushed his hands away. "It's not like I wanted this to happen. But think about it, I might be able to convince her to fight for us!"

Naruto widened his eyes.

"I tried to reason with her a while ago. Though I failed, I think I can do it with enough time." Tatsumi said.

"You're asking for the impossible. The only thing what Esdeath lives for is to fight strong enemies."

"But what if I can change that? What if I become more important to her?" Tatsumi shot back.

"I don't think so. We are leaving this place behind the next time we go outside on a mission." Naruto answered coolly.

"Then we have no choice but to fight her in the end, sacrificing more people!"

Turning Esdeath against the Empire does sound appealing to Naruto, but he just simply can't see that happening. Tatsumi is right, they will have to fight her eventually and it will cost the Revolutionary Army more than just a few Teigu users. Night Raid can't even defeat her at the moment.

"I don't know..." Naruto sighed.

"Then...!"

"I understand that we could easily defeat the Empire with Esdeath on our side, but we really should escape while we can. Unlike you, I'm having a hard time hiding who I really am. Hell, I almost cut down Stylish." He explained. "And today's mission too..."

"That's right, what happened to you at the briefing? You looked different."

"I had to push my memories as an assassin to the back of my head and accept the fact that I'm temporarily working for the Empire. I don't know about Esdeath, but Run is clearly suspicious of me. I can see it in his eyes. A guillotine is already above my head. Hope I bought myself a little more time at the briefing with my speech."

Tatsumi looked down. "...You are right. We have to get out of here."

***Groooowl***

Naruto's stomach however interrupted the conversation.

"Sorry, I skipped dinner." Naruto stood up from his bed and walked up to the door. "Well, let's just go to sleep... I'm dead tired."

"Naruto." Tatsumi called out to him. "That girl with the black hair. She is Akame's sister, right? Then isn't she your-"

"Stop." This single word held no emotion.

"Why?! I'm sorry for revealing this, but I heard what you told Akame a few weeks ago, what you promised to her and that you know her sister. Lubbock also told us thanks to your info that she is part of the Jägers now. I know it has nothing to do with me... but still..."

"I don't think it was me..." Naruto cut him off with a far away look.

"Huh?"

"I don't think it was me who stayed with Kurome..."

"Wait, that doesn't make any sense. What are you talking about?"

"Forget it." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm too tired and I still need to shower. Let's discuss the rest tomorrow." He placed his hands on Tatsumi's shoulders and turned him towards the door. "Now, out with you." He said in a half-asleep state with his eyes almost closed.

"Fine by me." A sweatdrop rolled down on Tatsumi's face before he remembered a certain almost-naked woman in the room upstrairs. "W-Wa-Wa-Wait! Can't I stay here for the night?" He said nervously.

"Nope." Naruto opened the door for Tatsumi and gently pushed him out. "You are the human sacrifice who will satisfy the captain's needs." He smirked.

"You can't be seriou-!"

***Bamm***

Naruto closed the door before Tatsumi could protest. His tired body turned around as if it were on auto-pilot and made its way towards the bed.

"Ahh, screw it. I'll shower in the morning..." He dropped down on the bed without even unfolding the blanket under him. The Moon shined through the window, illuminating the room. From the corner of his eyes, Naruto saw a wooden clock sitting on a nearby shelf.

***Tick***

***Tack***

It was 10 minutes past midnight, meaning that a new day has just begun. "Guess it's happy birthday then..." He weakly muttered under his breath.

But before he could fall asleep...

***Groooooowl***

"Come on..."

...

**Chapter 10: END.**

* * *

**xXxXxXx**

**In Chapter 11: Kill Your Decisions.**

**xXxXxXx**

"Fake Mountain?"

**xXxXxXx**

"Why is it that the captain always puts us in the same team, Seryu?"

**xXxXxXx**

"I recognize that Teigu. It's Incursio..."

**xXxXxXx**

"Tatsumi, run!"

**xXxXxXx**

"Guess I'm not going home after all..."

**xXxXxXx**

"Stylish...!"


	11. Chapter 11

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~, ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

**Disclaimer: See Ch. 1.**

**Hello Everyone! Quick update here! Thank you for all the support after the last chapter, it really helped me a lot! And because of that, I finished this chapter faster than usual. (Yay!)**

**This one is more like a prologue for the upcoming Chapter 12, it might get boring here and there. The main focus is how Naruto will realize the consequences what his decision has resulted when he chose to remain with the Jägers. How painful it is to lie.  
**

**Some of you might have questions about a thing or two after this chapter, so I left a couple notes at the bottom just to be sure.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Kill Your Decisions**

Before the Jägers...

Before the fight on the Ryuusen...

Before the first death of a comrade...

Before Zank...

...A small fragment of the past presented itself to Naruto as he dreamed inside the Jägers' Headquarters.

* * *

**Flashback.**  
**Outskirts of the Capital.**  
**Deep in the Mountains.**  
**Around Noon.**

* * *

It's been more than a week since Naruto and Tatsumi joined Night Raid but they have yet to learn the ropes in order to become a true assassin.

Gathering resources and food in order to survive is one of the many things in their training schedule. There is no doubt that there is going to be a moment in the future where this simple knowledge will determine wether they die or survive.

Four people walked through the forest with a basket full of plants on each of their back.

A girl with red orbs and long black hair walked in the front, looking around with narrow eyes to find the plant the group is looking for. A young man with brown hair and another with blonde hair followed in her tracks. One of them helped the girl in her search while the other just stared at the bright blue sky with sleepy eyes. The fourth person, a tall and muscular man stayed behind the others to watch their back.

"Man, those Maye plants sure are hard to find." Tatsumi said with curiosity as it's been almost two hours since they began their search for that one particular plant.

"Figures that we had to leave it to the last minute." Naruto let out a deep breath next to him as he complained why they couldn't just get the hardest one out of the picture first.

***Pat***

A bigger-than-normal hand soon found its way to the top of Naruto's head, ruffling his golden hair.

"Don't complain." Bulat reached out to him from behind. "Since we can't just go inside the capital and find a doctor to treat our wounds, we have to do it ourselves. While the Revolutionary Army supplies us with some medicament, our stock is not unlimited. It's better if we leave the creation of the ingredients to Mother Nature and make the ointments, disinfectants and other medicines with our own two hands."

"Grrrr..." Naruto mumbled something incoherent as he kept complaining inside his head. Learning about plants and where to find them won't help defeating the Empire. "Got it..." He gave up and crossed his arms under his chest with a pout.

"Come now." Bulat moved his hand from his head down to his back. "It won't kill you if you know something more, right? Think about it this way. When we successfully changed the Empire for the better, we need a place to stay and live our everyday life. Keeping our garden in top shape and harvesting fruits will help you way better in the long run than just buying them from merchants." Then Bulat moved his hand lower...

And lower... dangerously close to Naruto's rear.

"Where are you touching?!" The blond screamed as he jumped away and ran behind Tatsumi for protection.

"Ahahaha!" Bulat simply laughed with his hands on his hips. His joke was sadly misunderstood as something serious but at least Naruto was now wide awake and aware of his surroundings. "Let's continue out search then." The muscular man said as he left the blond behind along with Tatsumi and Akame.

"A-Alright." Still scared, Naruto followed.

The four continued moving forward until Akame stopped with sharp eyes as she moved her head up to look at a huge tree.

"Oh? Did you find one?" Bulat said from the back as the girl shot forward and basically run up the tree without using her hands.

Akame landed on a branch and grabbed a red fruit, happily taking a bite. "This fruit is good." She informed the others. "I'm going to fill my stomach a bit." Her eyes wondered to the other fruits on the tree.

Tatsumi sweatdropped.

"I grew up in the wild, but I'm no match for Akame." The brown-haired boy let out a deep and heavy breath.

"Yeah, I'm with you on that one." Naruto joined. "How can she ran up a tree without using her hands?" Maybe he is just not skilled enough?

***Growl***

"Hm?" A sudden presence alerted Bulat as he looked to the side only to see two Gifnora Dogs sneaking up to the group. "Akame." He signaled to the girl who already saw the danger beasts from up there and nodded. This might be a good opportunity to test the two newcomers' sense of danger.

Naruto and Tatsumi in the meantime talked about their lack of knowledge about the wild.

"Alright, let's be on our way." Bulat called out to the two as Akame jumped down with her basket now full of delicious fruits. "Akame, can I get one?" He used this as an excuse to leave the two boys behind and walk up to the girl. Though from the corner of his eye, he watched over them so he could save the two if they were unable to notice the danger beasts.

...

"No, I'm telling you, this terrain and the one we had around our village are not the same. Even if you learned about it from the chief, they are useless here." Tatsumi told his friend.

"Damn, so all of those boring lectures were for nothing..." Naruto sighed. This made him remember Sayo and how she used to threaten him if he didn't study. He looked down with a sad smile.

"You should consider-" Tatsumi couldn't finish his sentence as he heard a growling sound from behind him.

"Huh?!" Naruto too heard it.

***Growl***

The two boys widened their eyes as they saw two dog-like danger beasts running towards them with opened mouths.

"When did they...?" Naruto and Tatsumi jumped back just in time to avoid the danger beasts biting their legs.

"Danger Beasts..." Tatsumi drew his blade.

The blond looked back to see Bulat and Akame watching them.

"Hey, Naruto... are they..."

"Yeah, they want us to take care of them." He smirked as he opened up his grey coat and put down his basket along with Tatsumi to avoid spilling the already hard-to-find plants and losing them. "And I say:_ 'With pleasure'_!" He grabbed both of his tri-pronged knives and shot forward.

Blue light surrounded his body as he activated his Shingu and aimed a powerful cross attack with both weapons. Taking a step to the side, Naruto avoided the danger beasts claw strike and executed his own move fast and with enough force to kill the dog in a second.

Blood spilled from the two slashes he dealt to the beast so he took a step back to avoid staining his clothes.

Unlike him, Tatsumi stayed on the defense and let the danger beast come up to him when he stepped to the side and cut its head off.

The two gave each other a thumbs up as Bulat and Akame watched them with a smile on their face.

"Nice work you two!" Bulat praised them.

* * *

**Flashback: END.**  
**Jägers' Headquarters.**  
**Naruto's Room.**  
**Early Morning.**

* * *

The Sun's just come up when Naruto opened his eyes. He immediately reached down with his hands to push the sheet off from himself but he was slightly surprised when he grabbed empty air.

"Hm?"

With sleepy eyes, he looked down to see that the sheet was under him. More importantly, he was still in the clothes he used for yesterday's mission, meaning that he didn't change and simply slept like this.

"..." Now that he thougth about it, he did just drop down to his bed after talking with Tatsumi. A sweatdrop rolled down on his face as he remembered being so tired he simply refused to change into his sleepwear. "And I forgot to shower..." He added as he pushed himself up from the bed.

Thanks to his dream, he remembered the events from his early days as an assassin. Right before the events with Zank, he went out with Tatsumi, Akame and Bulat to harvest some plants. Little did he know that they've met the previous user of Incursio, Gensei, Bulat's former teacher.

Naruto remembered Bulat mentioning that Gensei was the Empire's strongest. The old man Gensei said that a person called _'Budo'_ wasn't around back then.

Now Naruto knew who switched places with him. It was General Budo, the person who he met not too long ago. He was indeed a beast.

"Wait, Esdeath is the Empire's strongest at the moment, right?" Naruto said it out loud. Then could this mean that Esdeath is stronger than Budo? Or someone says that Budo is strongest while the others say it is Esdeath? "Well, both of them are insanely strong so it doesn't really matter."

Naruto entered the small bathroom what every room in the building had and threw down his clothes. He kept thinking about his dream.

"Still..." He turned on the shower. "...I'm such an idiot for not listening to Bulat back then..." Killing the Empire's trashes is not the only thing a Night Raider should be good at.

He stepped inside the shower to clear his head.

* * *

**30 Minutes Later.**  
**Dining Room.**

* * *

"Morning." Naruto greeted the only other person present in the dining room, Wave. It was way too early in the morning for his liking but sleeping in those clothes from yesterday was probably the reason why he woke up at a time like this. As for Wave though... he had no idea why he is wide awake now of all the times. "Didn't know you were a morning person."

"Oh, morning, Naruto." Wave greeted him back as he finished his breakfast. "No, I used to fish a lot back where I came from so I usually woke up early." He explained as he picked up his plate and walked inside the kitchen to wash it. Naruto followed him. "What about you? I thought you would sleep until noon after yesterday's mission, you looked pretty tired." Wave said while letting the water wash over the plate.

"Well, I might have been able to sleep that long but I forgot to shower and to change my clothes. I was also half-way falling off from my bed so I'm actually glad I woke up this early... kind of..." His sleepy eyes said otherwise. "Any left-overs?" Naruto placed his hands on his stomach as he also remembered skipping yesterday's dinner. Making food right now would be a pain.

"There are some seafood back in the dining room from yesterday. I tried to eat them all today but I got stuck in the middle." Wave wiped the plate clean with a piece of cloth and put it away.

"Thanks, I might as well finish what you started then..." A part of him still carved for ramen but now wasn't the time to be picky. Food is food.

"Be my guest." Wave followed Naruto out of the kitchen, happy that someone else is eating his favorite type of food.

The seafood was still present in the middle of the table so all that Naruto had to get is a plate, a fork, and a knife. He sat down in front of his soon-to-be breakfast and picked a nice-looking fish for a start. Wave also decided to sit down on the chair in front of his on the opposite side in hope to start a conversation.

"By the way, Naruto. What happened yesterday when you asked for the captain's permission?" He asked curiously.

The blond tilted his head before realizing what he meant. He obviously can't tell him he went to speak with Lubbock, a member of Night Raid even if his green-haired friend's name is not listed on the Empire's wanted posters. Just like before, he had to make up a lie.

"I had to clear my head from yesterday's happenings... Well, you know... all the killing and stuff." He brought down his head and stopped eating for a moment to wait if Wave believed him or not. It was strange, but it feels like he had less guilt from lying than on the first day of being a Jäger. Must be because he got used to it.

Him getting used to lying still didn't make himself feel better though.

"And... you went... _'there'_?" Wave looked confused and a bit embarrassed when he asked the question, hinting a certain something with that last word.

"Hm?" Of course, Naruto didn't catch the meaning of the word fast. "Wha-?!" Then it hit him. It was either alcohol or women what Wave might have meant. "God, no! Of course I didn't go to such a place!" He would only drink alcohol if the atmosphere is good, so that was out of the picture. As for the other thing, he is still a vir-... yeah, so he can't just fool around.

"So you haven't gone to a ramen stand then?" Wave looked surprised.

"Huh?" So did Naruto.

"There was a time a couple days ago when you mentioned that you feel like in heaven when you are eating ramen, so I thought you might have found a ramen stand and spent an hour there. Then again, you also told me today that you didn't eat anything yesterday so it was a stupid question from my side." Wave scratched the back of his head while looking completely serious. Some of the shops are open even at midnight so Naruto could have eaten if he wanted.

_'I completely misunderstood!'_ The blond looked devestated as he opened his mouth wide and stormclouds surrounded the top of his head. "N-No... It wasn't stupid or anything. A couple years ago I would have been the number one customer of a ramen stand if we had one back in my village. Sadly though, we didn't have a one..."

Naruto continued to eat the seafood in silence as Wave just sat there without saying anything.

"Are we the only ones awake?" Naruto asked. It sure sounded strange, all of these people inside the Jägers are sleeping. The Empire's strongest, Esdeath is possibly also asleep. It was weird to think about it but then again, even the strongest person is a human too. Tatsumi is also up there with her so he might be able to see how she looks like in such times.

"Bols was here a moment ago before you arrived." Wave looked around. "I wonder where he went. He said he would help with today's lunch."

That reminded Naruto of something.

"Maybe he went back to his family." He suggested.

"Family?" A question mark appeared above Wave's head. "You mean he has a family? He only mentioned being married." He looked interested so Naruto decided to tell him what Bols said to him a while back.

"He also has a daughter. 5 years old. Bols showed me a picture of her." He wiped his mouth as he finished eating all the remaining seafood. Picking up both plates, he proceeded to wash them.

"I didn't know that." The dark blue-haired teen exclaimed as he saw Naruto leaving for the kitchen.

A couple minutes later, he came back now that everything was washed and wiped clean.

"Alright, I'm full. Any idea what we will do today?" Naruto asked.

"No idea. Maybe a day-off after yesterday?" Wave said it out loud and the blond responded with a nod. A day off would certainly be great. There were many opportunities. Training, interacting, maybe playing something together...

There is also the issue with Kurome and why she avoids Naruto.

***Tap* *Tap* *Tap***

The two young men tilted their head at the sound of footsteps and at the doorway they saw Bols standing there, ready for duty.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." He said as he stepped inside the dining room.

"Ah, morning Bols!" Naruto waved with his hand along with a small smile. Bols looked like he wanted to ask something.

"Naruto-kun, Wave-kun, I apologize but can I trouble you two with my request?" The masked-man asked, probably feeling bad for even asking them.

The two boys in question looked at each other for a moment before Naruto decided to speak up.

"Sure, anything we can help you with?"

"Actually, I..."

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Somewhere on one of the streets.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

"Again, I apologize for asking such a thing."

The three of them, Bols, Wave, and Naruto walked through the streets of the Capital with the goal of reaching the masked-man's house. Bols were at front while the other two stayed side-by-side behind him. Their reputation sure proceeded them, everyone was whispering how they were the Jägers and such. Some of them even kept their distance when they saw Bols and his appearance.

Naruto felt irritated by that. Judging a person by only his appearence is something he purely hated...

"Bols, come on. You know we are happy to help you so you shouldn't feel embarrassed or anything." Naruto said as his hands were behind his head and followed the man with a small smile.

"Yeah, we would never refuse such a request especially if you are in a need of help." Wave also added his own part.

A little while ago, Bols asked the two if they could come with him to his home and help taking care of his daughter for 30 short minutes until he and his wife will take care of some things like buying a new furniture or two to their home. While they could take their daughter with them, Bols told the two that she feels uncomfortable in the huge crowd inside the Capital and she easily gets scared from seeing a thug-looking individual.

So that's why the two almost immediately agreed to help. This also showed how greately the man trusts them after such a short time.

This has also caused a terribly painful feeling inside Naruto's chest. He felt like he could punch himself to death. His enemy just offered him to take care of his daughter for a little while. It frustrated him to no end. How could such a nice man be his enemy?

"Thank you, Naruto-kun, Wave-kun."

The three moved forward through crowd after crowd.

After a couple minutes Naruto looked to the side, seeing that Wave was reading a book. He raised an eyebrow as he didn't figure him for a bookworm so he asked what was on his mind.

"What are you reading?" He leaned close to see the contents of the book.

"Just a book the captain gave us yesterday night. It's about the lost Teigu's and the ones the Revolutionary Army might possess." He brought the book closer to the blond.

Reading through the lines and seeing the pictures, Naruto simply nodded. This might be some critical information for the future so he has to read it and memorize all the Teigus since he can't bring the book with him back to Night Raid. Just when he was about to pull his head back, he saw a familiar looking Teigu.

"That's...!" He almost shouted. "I recognize that Teigu. It's Incursio..." It was now that he realized what a stupid thing he had done. Now he had to make up an excuse for how he knew about Incursio. "Even I heard about it from my time inside the Capital."

He prayed for the excuse to work.

"Yeah, it's quite a well known one." Wave agreed as Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead without him noticing it. "Incursio was actually the prototype for my Grand Chariot." He added.

"Grand Chariot?"

"Oh, yeah, I haven't told you. It's my Teigu." Wave pointed to the sword on his hip. "Just like Incursio, it's an armor-type Teigu with great defence."

Naruto immediately saved this piece of information into his brain. Now he has all of them. All of the Jägers' Teigus are now known by him.

"Here we are!" Bols' mood changed as he walked ahead with quick steps, leaving the two behind and confused.

At the end of the street stood a woman in front of a house, carrying a small girl who happily waved at the now running Bols. Naruto looked to the side at Wave as the two nodded and followed the masked-man at a faster pace. As they closed in, the features of Bols' family came into view.

The wife had long light brown hair and purple eyes. The daughter had golden blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl kind of reminded Naruto of Bols since he already saw his face when he joined forces with Esdeath to get him to remove his mask.

"Oh, dear~." Bols' wife smiled the moment she saw her husband. "Welcome home!"

"Papaaa!" The little girl reached out with both of her tiny hands. Understanding clearly what she wanted, Bols picked the little girl up into the air as she laughed before giving her back to her mother.

"I'm back, you two." Even though his face was covered by the mask, his happiness was unquestionable.

After a little small talk, Bols' wife peeked out with her head to look at Naruto and Wave who patiently waited behind them to give them privacy.

"Dear, those two young men...?" She began but she stopped when Bols nodded.

"Yes, they are here to keep our daughter safe while we are away. I'm sorry for not telling you about them, but I trust them with my life." He confessed.

There it was. That painful feeling inside Naruto's chest.

"G-Good morning!" Naruto straightened up, feeling slightly embarressed and introduced himself. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, we will do our best." That sounded awkward.

"A-And my name is Wave." Wave sounded just like Naruto. "We won't let you down." He said with the same awkward tone but he also bowed.

After the woman looked at them for a short amount of time, she smiled and chuckled a little. "Nice to meet you two." She then turned back to her husband. "Dear, you know I could have asked one of my friends to take care of little Ellie here."

"Papa, you silly~" The little girl smiled.

"I didn't want to trouble her." Bols looked down. "But they are my-"

Naruto, sensing what Bols wanted to say quickly cut him off.

"We are his friends. I know we might look young and irresponsible, but we won't leave a friend in need behind." Naruto flashed his usual trademark grin what the little girl immediately come to like.

After a minute of silence, the small family accepted the two as their daughter's caretakers for the half an hour they will be gone. The two story building behind them was their home and Bols gave them the necessary information if something might would happen like the location of the toilet and the first aid kit.

Since it is just half an hour, the two won't have to do much.

The five of them stepped inside the house and Bols guided them to the living room with his daughter shortly following him. Ellie, the little girl's toys were present all around so they only had to watch over her.

"Alright, Papa and Mama will be away for a little while, so be a good girl and listen to Naruto-kun and Wave-kun here, okay? We will be home shortly." Bols petted the girl's head and his wife gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before they walked out the living room.

"Bye! Papa, Mama!" The little girl waved with her hand with a rather happy look. Strange. Naruto thought she will be sad about her parents leaving her but instead of tears, a bright smile was present. No doubt this wasn't the first time someone had to babysit her.

"Ah... It's blinding... This is love?!" Wave covered his eyes as he saw the family happily together.

"Umm, why are you covering your eyes?" Naruto asked him, not understanding it.

Both Wave and Naruto took a seat on a chair inside the living room and saw as Ellie's parents left. Naruto decided to just simply speak with Wave while the little girl play with her toys until Bols and his wife return. He was one second away from asking if he could take a look in that book what Esdeath gave Wave but before he was able to, Ellie walked up to his sitting figure and looked at him with her wide blue eyes.

"Ne, ne, Onii-chan." Naruto was taken aback when the girl called him_ 'onii-chan'._ "Is Onii-chan a soldier just like Papa?" The girl asked.

"S-Soldier?" Does she know that Bols is part of the Jägers? "You mean, you know that Bols is..."

"Yes." Ellie said as she puffed out her chest proudly. "Papa told me that he is a soldier and how he fight with this weapon called a Tei... Tai..." The word didn't seem to arrive so Naruto helped her.

"Teigu."

"Yes! Yes! That's the name!" Ellie pouted cutely as she forgot the name but soon smiled when Naruto helped her. "So, is Onii-chan a soldier just like Papa?"

Naruto looked back to Wave for help but the dark blue-haired young man simply shrugged with his shoulders, not knowing what to say.

"Well..." The blond started but soon stopped as he realized what he was about to say. He is not a soldier, he is an assassin. The opposite of a soldier who obeys the law and acts like it. Assassins doesn't care about the law... not like the Empire had any.

But the problem here was...

_'Dammit, do I even have to lie to a little girl?!'_ He screamed inside his head but soon fought it down just like before. He forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah! I'm a soldier too, and one of your Papa's teammate."

"Really?" The girl beamed up as she smiled brightly. "Then... Then..." She soon looked down as her smile faded. Ellie was embarressed about what she was about to say... or ask. "Then, can I ask you something, Onii-chan?" She placed the tip of her index fingers together shyly.

Not finding any reason to decline, Naruto nodded. "Sure, what is it?"

"Can... Can you protect Papa?"

...

...

The question hit the blond hard as if Esdeath just suddenly fired a whole mountain of ice at him.

"Papa is sometimes too silly, please, protect him when he is silly... Onii-chan!" The small girl pleaded as Naruto's expression was frozen. "Please?"

What should he do? What should he-

"Of course! Leave it to me!" He flashed a foxy grin as he reached down to pat the girl's head. "This super cool Onii-chan will do his best!" He proclaimed without thinking things through.

"Yaaay!" The girl threw her hands up in the air.

"Wave." Naruto called out to him. The dark blue-haired Jager was reading the book about Teigu before looking back to Naruto. "Can you watch her for a minute? I have to go to the bathroom." He signaled that it might take him a while.

"Ah, sure." Wave nodded and placed down the book and asked something from Ellie while Naruto stood up and walked out of the living room.

His footsteps rang inside his head.

His movement became sluggish the moment he left the others view as he slowly staggered towards the bathroom. Naruto's eyes were wide open as he opened the door and closed it behind him.

***Sigh***

With a deep breath, he leaned back against the door and slid down slowly. Right when he reached the floor, he brought up his hands and held his head as he broke down. He just promised a little girl that he will protect his supposed enemy from harms way. But that is not something he can do. Sooner or later, he will come face to face with Bols on the battlefield.

_'How much of an idiot can I be!'_ He wanted to punch a hole in the door but he realized that this is not his home and would only complicate things for Bols and his family.

What if he will be the one to end Bols' life? What will he say then to his family when one day all of this madness end? Will he just simply say, _'Hey, I killed your father and husband, but now we are at peace because of that'_? Will he say something stupid like that?!

Naruto wanted to erase himself, his whole presence from the Jägers' mind. He should have left when he had the chance on the day before he received his useless Teigu.

_'Why couldn't she just ask Wave... Why me...'_

He learned about how it feels when a comrade die, but no one told him about the emotional pain what a simple promise could cause. No one told him about the pain when he had to lie. Yet here it is... that familiar painful feeling inside his chest.

Breath in...

Breath out...

He can't stay here much longer or else someone might be worried. He forced himself up and left the bathroom, going back to them with his still sluggish steps.

As soon as he reached the living room, his movement turned back to nomal and he forced a smile.

"I'm back!"

Time flew by quickly after that. The three even played together a game what the girl suggested. No doubt that they had fun. Naruto sure did as he didn't have much toys when he was little. All he had was Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu, his close friends.

And right before he realized, the front door opened and Bols stepped inside along with his wife.

"Papa! Mama!" Ellie ran up to them as her father crouched down and hugged her.

"Hello there! How was it? Did you three have fun?" Bols asked as his daughter smiled.

"Yes! We played together and Onii-chan said a lot of cool things." She grinned.

"Oh, like what?" Bols asked curiously as his wife too joined them with the same curiosity. "_Onii-chan_?"

"He told me this one time he raced with his friend to see who could eat more ramen. It was so funny when he showed me how he looked when he ate more then six bowls in one go!" Ellie brought up her hand and pushed her soft cheeks to show how funny Naruto looked. "Naruto-Onii-chan was like... this!"

"Haha. I'm sure the three of you had fun." Ellie's mother picked her up and gave a quick kiss to her cheek.

Naruto and Wave stood at the living room's doorway smirking at each other.

"Thank you for taking care of our daughter." Bols said as he bowed his head slightly.

"N-No, we told you that it's just natural." The two young men protesed.

"Still, Onii-chan and Mr. Fish are funny. Papa, Mama, can they come again?" The girl asked.

"Mr. Fish?" Wave pointed at himself with a sweatdrop but his question was left unanswered.

Bols and his wife looked at each other, a bit surprised but soon gave their daughter a firm nod.

"Yes, they can come."

"Yay!"

Naruto and Wave went ahead to take on their boots and when they finished, Bols' wife came up to the two and gave each of them a small box of cookies.

"This is for takind care of our daughter. I'm sorry, I baked them yesterday night so they might not be fresh anymore."

"That's nonsense, we gladly take them." Wave was the first one to accept.

"Yes. Thank you!" Naruto slightly hesitated for obvious reasons but he still accepted them.

"No, _we_ thank you, Naruto-kun, Wave-kun." Bols said. "I'm staying here for a bit, so you two can go on ahead."

The two nodded.

"Alright, then we will be on our way." Naruto opened the door as he and Wave stepped outside and waved with their hand.

"See you later! Onii-chan, Mr. Fish."

_See you later..._

Those three words...

They hurt so much...

* * *

**Capital.**  
**Jägers' Headquarters.**  
**Dining Room.**  
**Late Morning.**

* * *

Naruto stepped inside the dining room to came face to face with a horrible sight.

Or to be more precise, he came face to face with Tatsumi.

"Eh... What happened to you?" Naruto asked as his friend looked terrible as if he didn't sleep at all. His hair was messy and a little droll was rolling down from his open mouth.

"I was so nervous that I couldn't fall asleep until dawn." He muttered under his breath as he went up to the kitchen to drink some water. Naruto followed him, thinking that a little water might do him good aswell.

He stepped inside the kitchen and grabbed a clean glass.

The blond stepped closer to Tatsumi and whispered quietly to him. "What did really happen? You look like you had been through some really crazy nightmares."

Tatsumi shivered at the mention of nightmares.

"I was used as a body pillow all night long so I couldn't fall asleep." He drank the whole glass of water down in one go.

"Body pillow?" Naruto looked back to the kitchen to see that nobody was listening. "You mean like _'that'_?"

"Exactly. I had to use all my strength just to turn around in the middle of the night to not face... well,_ 'those_'. You understand what I'm saying, right?" Tatsumi brought up his hand as if he wanted to grab something with them. His face was bright red so Naruto immediately understood what he meant.

"I wish I didn't..." He sighed. "Though I don't know wether I should be angry or jealous..."

"I nearly had a heart attack!" Tatsumi nearly yelled but managed to keep his voice down at the last moment.

"I'm sure you nearly did..." Naruto rolled his eyes to the side.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't feel embarrassed if it were to happen to you." Tatsumi pointed at him.

"I already slept next to a rather... _'big'_ individual so I already experienced that." He did have a bet with Leone what he lost. She slept next to him before the mission on the Ryuusen and he didn't hear the end of it from Lubbock and Tatsumi next morning before they left with Bulat.

"So? Did you panic?" Tatsumi said.

"..." Naruto crossed his arms before he slowly nodded, blushing. "Can't deny it." He surrendered.

"See?"

***Ka-chik***

The door leading to the dining room then suddenly opened and Esdeath stepped inside, her eyes searching for the person she spent the night with.

"Tatsumi!" Right when the two came back from the kitchen, Esdeath called out to Tatsumi who in return started to shiver. Naruto simply stepped to the side and went back to Wave and Kurome. The girl was wide awake when they came back from Bols. "For the next few days we will be hunting. We are heading to Mt. Fake!" Her outfit was still halfly done, so she finished it quickly before continuing.

Tatsumi's eyes lit up as this could mean his chance to escape.

"Wave and Kurome along with Naruto and Seryu will be coming as well. Mt. Fake is the perfect place for an ambush so keep your eyes open for enemies while hunting." She told them as she placed her cap on her head.

"""Roger.""" All three of them nodded.

The setup was perfect. Naruto and Tatsumi are both going on the mission. This couldn't have been better.

_'But wait, something or rather someone is still missing.'_

***Creaaak***

The door opened again and Seryu stepped inside along with Koro.

At this rate, Naruto might win a lottery or something.

"Good morning, everyone!" The girl with auburn hair greeted the others.

"Until evening, we'll be hunting for Tree Beasts. Once we get there, Kurome and I will search the east side, while Wave and Tatsumi search the west side. Naruto and Seryu will meet up with the West Team after they checked the north side." Esdeath finished with the preparations and looked at Kurome and Naruto. "One more thing. I didn't get to see much of Kurome or Naruto yesterday. So as your captain, I need to make sure of your abilities."

While Naruto did take out some of the bandits yesterday along with their leader, he did that inside of a building where Esdeath couldn't see him. So it made sense why she wanted to check if he is good enough.

"We'll switch two times after dusk. After the first switch, Tatsumi will be with me and Naruto with Wave. After the second switch, Naruto will be with me and Tatsumi with Kurome."

This changed some things for the two Night Raider. For example, their time for escape has been greately reduced. Naruto hoped that he will be teamed up with Tatsumi at least once, but now their only chance is when neither of them are with Esdeath, meaning that their deadline is at dusk.

The two exchanged looks as they thought about the same thing.

However, unknown to them, two person stood outside the dining room without noticing the other. Both of them eagerly listened to the conversation and details.

But was it Tatsumi or Naruto they were staring at?

* * *

**Fake Mountain.**  
**North Side.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

"Fake Mountain..." Whispered Naruto.

He and Seryu were far up the mountains by the time the clock hit noon. So far, everything was quiet and calm, no monsters, bandits or danger beasts. Crossing through an untouched forest, the two walked next to each other, keeping their eyes open for their surroundings.

The name Fake Mountain was something Naruto was familiar with. For example, Tatsumi went out with Bulat in the past to train up here. This little trip will most likely trigger these memories in Tatsumi's head.

"Did you say something, Naruto?" Seryu heared him whispering something so she decided to ask what it was.

"Ah... It's nothing, don't worry about it." Naruto simply waved it off like it was nothing important. Aside from small talks, there was something he wanted to ask her. "By the way, Seryu..." He pointed to his right shoulder. "Can you _'please'_ take off your Teigu from my shoulder? Last time I tried to remove him he nearly bit my hand off."

Right there, relaxing on his shoulder was Koro. Naruto lost the will to consider the Teigu a dog or anything like it... he was more like a cat if anything.

"Sorry, is he troubling you?" Seryu put her hands behind her back entwined as she looked at Naruto and smiled apologetically. "I was really surprised at first, his behavior changed drastically the moment you joined us."

"W-Well... he doesn't trouble me or anything..." It just simply felt weird. To have the killer of your friend relaxing on your shoulder...

"Then it is fine, isn't it?" Seryu smiled again, making any kind of resistence from Naruto futile.

"I... guess..."

"Kyuuuun!" As if understanding what he just said, Koro's mood suddenly turned happy.

_'Enjoy the free-ride while it lasts...'_ Naruto sweatdropped.

They cut through bushes, jumped across narrow ravines, and climbed up on bigger and bigger rocks. The team then soon saw their destination, the mountain. A quick 30 minutes and they will reach it.

"Say... Seryu..." Naruto began as he jumped down from a rock next to the girl. The Seryu now and the Seryu in battle looked like two different person to him and he is getting more confused by the second when he talks with her. There was even a time when he almost told himself that the girl who killed Sheele is not the girl in front of him but more like someone else who looked just like her.

Of course, that couldn't be true.

"What is it?"

"You have every right to be angry at me for asking such a thing and I might deserve a slap on the face for it, but I just can't take it and not ask this." Naruto scratched the back of his head as he had all the girl's attention. "You mentioned the word _'justice'_ quite a lot. Can I ask what you whink about justice?"

This question was like a two-edged sword. It can easily backfire if Seryu take it as an insult to her ideals. Naruto tried to be discrete but wether he succeeded or not, he didn't know.

He even looked away when he saw Seryu's sudden change in personality.

***Pat***

"...Eh?"

But instead of a hard slap, he received a gentle touch on his head... At first, he didn't even realize that Seryu's hand was robotic.

"Silly, why would I get angry over just a simple question?" She petted his head just like yesterday when Naruto got jealous when Seryu wanted to pat Tatsumi instead. Of course, she didn't know that it was just an act. "My Papa always said that justice shall never yield to evil. At first, I was just a girl looking up to her father, but after Mama died because of the evil-doers, I wanted to learn from him, I wanted purge the evil what killed her."

Naruto listened as they moved forward.

"Papa also served in the Imperial Army so his teachings were strict. Day after day, I slowly managed to catch up to him. I did my best to find those who were responsible for Mama's death..." Seryu's face then distorted into a warped and demented version of itself again. "And I did. I've found them in a small house somewhere in the outskirt's of the Capital. So I showed them that evil deserves no mercy. One by one, I slowly erased them. They were old by the time I found them, but justice still had to be served." A grin formed on her face.

"But..." Naruto began as Seryu's face turned back to normal. "...Isn't that just simple vengeance or even common murder?" Naruto mutterred. "Justice is something that involves showing mercy if the person deserves it, right? That's what separates it from revenge or those other two I mentioned." He should know. After he joined Night Raid, he never showed mercy to anyone. So far, he had to only deal with twisted people so they really didn't deserve any mercy. But again, he never considered killing scum as a means of justice.

The atmosphere changed as Seryu stopped.

"...Is that how you really think about justice?" Koro jumped down from his shoulder and next to Seryu who looked at Naruto with narrow eyes.

***Gulp***

Naruto was facing Seryu with his back so he didn't know how she looked at him but he could imagine that her expression was far more than angry. He just questioned her ideals.

With a deep breath, the blond too stopped and turned around to face Seryu. Both stared at each other as Naruto opened his mouth to answer her. "...Yes. That's how I really think about it." Her eyes slightly widened as if he betrayed her right there right then. "But don't get me wrong. From the way I see it and how you described it, you would kill even a kid who stole a wallet from a man."

"Justice needs to be served, no matter what sin a person caused." She replied in a cold tone.

"But not by only death!" Naruto raised his voice to the point where it could have been considered yelling. It was natural that he was angry. The example he just told her actually happened to him. Seryu however was taken aback when he snarled at her. Naruto expected her to switch her personality again but she simply stepped back as if she couldn't believe him being angry at her. It almost felt like Naruto was the bad guy there.

"..." Koro watched from next to his master.

"Remember the day we met? On that day, my wallet got stolen by a kid not older than 8. I pursued him to his house, planning to take it back. That's when I heard it. He wanted to use the money to buy her mother some medicine... but when he got home... it was too late, she died." Naruto looked down. "I know stealing is not acceptable, but ending a life because of some stupid wallet and a couple coins..." He brought his head up. "I'm use you understand what I'm trying to say, right?"

"No, I don't understand!" She answered without hesitation.

"...?"

"Those who act against the Empire's law are evil." Seryu said as she walked past him, leaving the blond behind.

_'There is no law!'_ He wanted to yell back but he couldn't. It was a lost cause. He can't do more other than simply accept the fact that she is twisted. Why does he even care about all this? "Then..." But the words still came out of his mouth. "At least..." Seryu was still moving forward without looking back. "Smile more often..."

Really? That's the best he could come up with? Smile more often?

"N-Naruto?" Seryu stopped and looked back with wide eyes.

"Yesterday when you fought against those bandits... your face kinda scared me." He looked away, embarressed. "So... you know, you should smile instead of looking scary..." He brought a hand up to his face. Unlike yesterday, these words were sincere and true. "Or something like that." He shrugged with his shoulders.

"Ah..." Seryu closed her eyes and brought down her face. "Ahahaha!" Then she let out a true and happy laugh like never before. "That's just like you, Naruto. Saying something embarrassing after all those cool words. I thought you might get angry after what I said."

Naruto returned her smile. "Well, you know. I'm literally a walking Smile Assistance." He joked. "And about me being angry at you. We just simply had a difference of opinion. The same thing happened with Wave a couple days ago, and look at us now." He can't change Seryu. Maybe if he had more time... then maybe he could.

Maybe...

The blond's eyes wandered away to a nearby tree. More importantly, he was staring at the fruits on top of it. The tree was short enough that the fruits were within arm's reach, so he simply smiled and walked up to them.

Naruto grabbed two fruits and turned around, facing Seryu. They looked red and rather big, almost like an apple.

"Look what I found!" He announced as he raised the two up into the air.

"Hm? What are those?" She asked curiously.

"An edible fruit growing only here up in the mountain areas." He explained. The credit however is went to someone else. A girl with long black hair and red eyes._ 'Thanks for the info, Akame.'_ It was her who showed him what fruits are edible in the wild and what are not. It felt ironic that he dreamed about this today.

Naruto brought one arm back, planning to gently throw it to Seryu.

"Here!" He threw the fruit to her.

"Kyuun!"

But before it could have reached her, Koro jumped up and devour it in one bite.

_'Sneaky little bastard! Ruining my moment...'_ Naruto glared at the biological Teigu who simply looked back at him and asked for more.

The blond turned back to grab some more fruits from the tree again, two in case Koro might eat one again. He walked up to Seryu and gave one to her and kept the other two for himself.

"They are delicious, so go ahead and try it." He said as he stepped away. Naruto then crouched down and exchanged looks with Koro. It was an epic fight worthy enough to be inside the history books... until Koro climbed up to Naruto's shoulder again._ 'Figures...' _He sighed in defeat.

"I don't want this..." Seryu then suddenly said as she dropped the fruit what Naruto gave her.

"What are you..."

"I don't want this!" She raised her voice before looking down and embracing herself with her robotic arms as a symbol to shield herself. "The last time I opened up my heart to someone, he died soon after. My Mama, Papa... then my teacher, captain Ogre."

Naruto widened his eyes. That name sounded familiar. Ogre..._ 'That's guy I...'_ His first kill. The first time he ended a human life. Naruto killed him on his first mission as an assassin. He knew he shouldn't feel bad about it... but for some reason, he...

"Then Dr. Stylish. I can already feel that something is going to happen to him. I just..."

***Thud***

Before she could finish, Naruto placed another fruit on the top of her head and kept his hand on it. When Seryu looked up to him, she saw him frowning at her.

"It's your choice, but I simply offered you a fruit. Not a ring or anything." He can't say everything is going to be alright after he killed one of her important person. "Throw it away or eat it, it is up to you. But seriously, it's just a fruit." He said with a stoic face.

"Then..." She slowly reached up to the top of her head and grabbed the red nutriment. "Thanks."

"No problem." Naruto then turned around. "Let's go, we still have to hunt down those Tree Beasts."

"Say... Can I also ask something from you?" Seeing the blond nod, Seryu gathered her courage. "Is it alright if I call you Naruto_-kun_ from now on?" Her cheeks were red, almost like the fruit she held in her hands and she looked slightly embarrassed, looking sideways every now and then.

"Ah, sure I don't mind." Naruto answered way too quickly. He didn't even know what the question was until later._ 'Wait...'_ His brain caught up._ 'Wa-Wa-Wa-Wait just a second!'_ His mouth opened wide._ 'I-Is she...'_ Did he just enter the Seryu-Route by accident or something?_ 'I just simply tried to be friendly with her for once!'_

Now he is seriously sitting in the guano.

"That's great, thanks!" She happily took his hand pulled him forward up to the mountains. "Let's go!"

_'Eh...Eheh...Eheheh... Naruto, you did it again.'_

_..._

Time passed by but the two had yet to find the Tree Beasts they were looking for. The real problem however was that they haven't seen any kind of danger beasts.

Seryu even used one of her gadgets she got from Stylish. Number 9: Justice City Detector was its name. She could track and detect living beings with it but she was unable to find any. Naruto then reminded her that the Tree Beasts and such danger beasts up in the mountains specialize in hiding their presence, at least that's what he heard from Tatsumi.

"This is not going anywhere..." Naruto said as he released a deep breath. "Still nothing."

"Maybe we should split up and meet at the top of the mountain? We could cover more ground that way..." Seryu suggested.

"No, that wouldn't be the best ide-" Wait, wasn't this a good thing for him? If they split up, there wouldn't be anyone to stop him. He could get away without a fight. "On second thought, you are right. I need to show the captain that I can stand on my own. Who knows, maybe I'll be lucky on the way to the top."

"Then what do you say, Naruto-kun. Meet me at the top an hour later?"

The same painful feeling appeared inside Naruto's chest as Seryu said those words.

"Yeah. An hour later then." He nodded with a sad smile. Naruto won't be there...

This is goodbye.

"Let's be on out way!" Seryu and Koro waved before quickly running to their left, leaving Naruto behind.

He watched as their figure disappeared between the trees. This is it.

Naruto brought his hand up to his chest as he gripped the scarf he got from Leone to regain his composure.

Akame.

Leone.

Lubbock.

Mine.

Najenda.

Tatsumi.

They were waiting for him. Almost a whole week passed since he joined the Jägers. But now it's over. He won't serve the Empire any longer. From now on, everyone on the Prime Minister's side is an enemy.

"Thank you." He slightly bowed his head as he thanked everyone inside the Jägers. He learned many things despite all that happened.

It was time to leave.

But first, Tatsumi.

Naruto turned around without saying anything else as the ground below his feet cracked. After a deep breath, he rocketed forward with all his might to reach Tatsumi's location, the west side of Fake Mountain. His friend is most likely still with Wave. First, he will distract Wave with something.

_'Maybe I can tell him that there was a sudden switch or something.'_ He thought as he ran through the forest. He saw the sunlight peaking through between the trees in front of him, so he assumed that there will be a clearing up ahead.

Hitting the bullseye, he reached a narrow but long trail without any of the trees covering the space above.

"Yes, finally something else other than bushes and trees." The trail was free of any vegetation so he was good to go. "I just have to follow this to reach the west side." Thank god he checked Seryu's compass when he had the chance.

After a good ten minutes of running, the terrain changed.

_'I'm getting closer.'_ He told himself.

A gentle but cold breeze suddenly hit his face. It could only mean one thing.

_'A danger beast?!'_ Naruto immediately stopped and jumped back.

***Crash***

Flipping backwards before landing on his hands then legs, Naruto watched as spike-like objects hit the ground and brought dust and dirt up into the air. Whatever this attack was, if he were to jump away even a second later he would have died for sure.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-san."

White.

The first thing Naruto saw was the color: white. Then came the feathers. Feathers in an uncountable number scattered all around the trail road. And then, up above him in mid-air floated the man he least expected to see.

"Run..." His eyes grew wide at the sight of the Jäger. Naruto looked down, seeing that the supposed _'spikes' _stuck in the ground were indeed the feathers from Run's Teigu. "What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here." The blond wanted to get the most obvious question out of the way first. Bols, Stylish, and Run had nothing to do with today's hunting.

"I'm here to stop you." In a polite tone and with his favorite book in his right hand, Run answered before slowly descending to the ground and withdrawing his Teigu. The two were now standing on the same ground, facing the other.

"And why exactly?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, hands close to his katana's handle.

"Please, enough with the act, Naruto-san. I've seen through your lies the day we spoke with the Prime Minister." Run, despite saying all that, didn't show the young Uzumaki any hostility. He just simply answered his question calmly.

Naruto, seeing Run's behavior sighed. Looks like not all was lost. He stood up from his crouching position and watched the Jäger with a slightly wary look.

"Alright, guess it's not a secret that I despise the Empire anymore." He admitted. "You are here to forcefully bring me back to the Prime Minister to admit that?"

"No. I actually found that out when you talked with Kurome-san on the first few days. So that's not what I meant when I said I've seen through your act." Run's face then turned emotionless even though a smile was present on it. A cold yet calm and collective smile. "What I meant however was that I know you are part of the Revolutionary Army."

"Wha-?! What makes you think I'm part of it?"

"Your reaction just confirmed it." He started. That meant that it was just a guess and Naruto himself admitted it. "Though I did think that something about you was off." Run brought up his arm and pointed at Naruto with his book. "First, I was surprised. How could a footsoldier or spy successfully stand on its own with Teigu users. At the start, I thought that you received special training from a very capable individual. But after I found your behaviors strange, I started to think that the Revolutionary Army trained you to blend in after the Empire threw you out after those experiments."

"So you heard the whole story I told to Kurome..." It wasn't a question. When Naruto thought about it, Run was the one who told him and Kurome that dinner was ready. He could have stood outside his already open door. He must have heard their conversation.

"Yes." Run admitted. "As I said, I first thought they took you in at the beginning and trained you well... But..." He brought back his streched out arm. "No such footsoldier or spy could have avoided the attack from Mastema, even with enough training."

"Meaning?"

"You need to be a man with great talent and skills to feel such a small killing intent and change in atmosphere. I masked the presence of my attack to find out the answer. Only one group is capable of such a feat near the Capital, outside the Imperial Army's and the Prime Minister's reach. The infamous group of assassins, Night Raid. Well, you did mention you spent your days inside the Capital the past month so it wasn't that hard to put the pieces together." Run watched Naruto's reaction carefully and closed his eyes. "But the main reason why I got suspicious was because your face. That look, that tone, and that smile. I'm overly familiar with them."

"..." Naruto relaxed his body, takind one long and deep breath. "Is that so?" He erased his previous wary expression and answered with a glare along with a powerful murderous intent he kept locked inside for the whole week. "Why didn't you kill me yesterday or the day you found it all out? Why wait?"

"I simply found no reason to rush. My plan worked after all, and I successfully intercepted you. I wanted to speak with you where the others wouldn't hear us." Run answered.

"What are you planning to do with me?" Naruto grabbed the handle of his katana firmly.

"Rest assured, I'm not here to kill you." He said.

"Huh?"

"I also saw your interactions and most of them were sincere when outside of mission. Will you consider staying with us?" The Jäger asked.

"Before that, Run." Naruto narrowed his eyes again. "Are you aware of what is happening inside this country.?" Run didn't say anything or looked angry when Naruto admitted his hate toward the Prime Minister.

"Yes, I'm aware. As I told you in the briefing room yesterday, I have my own goals to reach."

"Then why won't _'you'_ join _'us'_? With your help, we could-"

"You know I can't do that, Naruto-san." Run quickly cut him off.

No, he didn't know. Naruto really didn't know why Run can't join Night Raid. He said something about a goal. Though he most likely won't tell him what it is.

"And you?" Run still wanted an answer.

"Same as you, I can't do that." Naruto took a stance.

"I see." Run made up his mind. "I already told Seryu-san to go to Wave-san's location on a different route because I'll be with you. She has most likely reached them by now." This meant that Tatsumi will be unable to escape from Wave. With Seryu's detector, it's impossible. "As for you, this is the end of the road."

***Crack***

With eyes sharp, blade up, Naruto shot forward without saying anything else and aimed a powerful slash at the Jäger before him.

If what Run said is true, then... No, he won't think about that. Tatsumi still has Incursio and its trump card. With their teamwork, the two can escape for sure!

"Uwoooo!"

The blade closed in.

***Clank***

Before it cold reach its target however, two bright white wings occupied the space between the blade and Run's neck. As they blocked the attack, one wing instantly smacked the katana along with Naruto's arms away while the other one acted like a spear in order to pierce through the blond's now wide open chest area.

Seeing the incoming danger, he jumped away before rolling on the ground. Naruto got up from the dirt and went in for another try until he had to stop when Run flapped with Mastema's wings, making the burst of wind shield him for a moment.

_'Tch.'_ Naruto clicked his tongue._ 'I knew it wouldn't be that easy.'_ He is up against a Teigu-user again. One wrong move and he is dead.

Small white feathers were shot towards Naruto who was still covering his face from the wind. He barely saw the sharp projectiles in time to bring up his blade and deflect them.

_'Wha-?!'_ His eyes widened when the blade was unable to completely stop the feathers and some of them bounced off from his weapon and cut his cheek and arms. _'They are too heavy!'_ The best he can do is to slightly redirect them to avoid receiving a fatal blow.

"From this distance, my attacks are too powerful for you to block." Run continued sending rain of feathers at Naruto.

Blocking soon became useless as the Night Raider got more deeper cuts on his body over the time. He couldn't keep it up forever. Thinking back to his battles against Teigu-users, he never really cared about defending himself. Not much at least.

_'Dammit! Screw the defence! I'll just simply dodge them.'_ This strategy worked out in the long run before so he had no doubt it will even now. He reached inside his blue jacket with his free hand and pulled out two hidden knives he had from before and threw them straight at Run.

Even if for just a second, the user of Mastema looked away from him and shot down the incoming weapons. Using this exact second to make his move, Naruto began to sprint in a zig zag pattern. He swinged his katana horizontali when he got close enough but it only cut empty air.

Run used his wings to ascend to the sky where Naruto couldn't reach him.

"With this, the advantage is mine." He declared as he continued his one-sided attacks.

Naruto flipped backwards as the feathers sent rubble and dirt high up into the air. While in mid-air, he reached down with his left arm and stopped, standing on his hand and maneuvering his body and legs to avoid getting pierced. Naruto then pushed himself off from the soil and landed on his feet. He took a quick right turn and ran inside the forest.

The trees might be able to protect him. At least it was a better shot than staying out in the open on the trail road.

Jumping over fallen branches and other obstacles, Naruto tried to get away from Run who would be unable to maneuver with his wings normally because of the tall trees. The only option the Jäger had was to follow him from above the forest but that meant increasing the chance of losing sight of him thanks to the bad visibility.

_'I'm not an idiot like I was before. He has a Teigu while mine is useless and my Shingu is pretty much the same. The best I can do is to run and pray that I might be able to somehow lose him.'_ Right when he finished this thought, a feather impacted on the ground a meter away from him. He didn't do anything to avoid it or anything so he got his hopes up._ 'Yes, his accuracy has decreased!'_

Running forward, he spotted a half-fallen tree what he could use to jump higher and several bushes what could be the perfect hiding spot. He made a quick plan and acted before Run could see him.

...

Thanks to the thick tree crowns, the Jäger lost sight of him for a millisecond. With his eyes narrowed, he descended into the forest to find him again. Thanks to Mastema, he was way faster than Naruto.

And that meant only one thing. He was hiding not far from him.

***Rustle***

Run immediately heard the smallest sound coming from a nearby bush and fired off a couple feathers to kill whoever was hiding in there.

***Crackle!***

He then heard the sound of someone jumping off of something. But it didn't come from the bush he just disturbed.

It came from his right.

"Ahhh!"

"?!" Run tilted his head towards the sound only to come face to face with Naruto and his weapon closing in to his chest. His eyes widened as he brought forth his wings and blocked the quick downward cut. Run remembered seeing a small clearing from up the sky so he decided to smack Naruto away in that direction. He turned back towards the bush he previously attacked to see a small string attached to it.

"Gah..."

Naruto couldn't do anything while in mid-air so he flew past the trees like a ragdoll until he suddenly exited the forest and impacted on the grassy field. His plan failed.

"Now I see." Run followed him out of the forest. "You attached a string to the bush and pulled it back before I reached your location. You simply climbed up on a tree and hid there, releasing the string to make a noise to distract me."

***Cough* *Cough***

Naruto coughed as he felt blood dripping down from the left side of his head. Thanks to his luck, he managed to hit head into a rock when he landed and rolled on the ground.

"I misjudged you, Naruto-san. You are just like me." Run said as he readied himself for another attack.

"Dammit..." Naruto looked up and grabbed his katana. Tilting his head to the side he avoided the feather trying to pierce his head and jumped up to his feet. He saw a rather huge rock and decided to hide behind it.

The rain of feathers however made this goal harder to reach.

Naruto had no other choice but to block the last few before reaching the rock.

***Clang***

"Huh?"

But the last feather knocked the blade out of his hands.

Time slowed down.

_'How did it...'_ He looked back to see the katana falling to the opposite direction. He then looked at the feather what cause him to lose his weapon._ '...become so strong?'_

He switched back to Run as the time returned to normal, seeing that the usual 3-5 feathers turned to 8-10 or even more.

"Kuh...!" Naruto brought his arms up to defend himself as the feathers hit the ground around him. Was it his luck that they missed? Or did Run miss on purpose? The wind what was disturbed from the attack pushed Naruto down as he crawled behind the rock.

He leaned his whole body against it to get some cover. His blue eyes checked his surroundings, seeing that only a cliff along with a waterfall stood in front of him. He might be able to jump down if the water is deep enough, but will he reach it in time?

"I think this is far enough, Naruto-san. You are cornered." Run announced, still floating behind him.

Naruto grit his teeth before checking his equipment. He used up his strings in his belt what he received from Lubbock before his fight against Zank. He looked inside his jacket, and fortunately, he saw one last hidden knife. Good, he can probably do something with that.

_'I have to get my weapon back if I want to survive this.'_ He looked to his right, seeing that his sword was out in the open. He grabbed his last chance and pulled it out of his blue jacket._ 'I have to distract him and grab my weapon... then run for the waterfall!'_

He left his cover and aimed his hidden knife at Run.

***Shatter***

It happened in an instant. A single feather, faster than he could see shot through the hidden knife's blade and shattered it into four pieces.

"...What..." Naruto looked at the now broken weapon before back to Run. He could have clearly kill him by this single attack. The blond couldn't even react.

"As I said, you are cornered. Did you really think that I was fighting serious from the start?" The Jäger said. "I purposely slowed down my feathers so that you could avoid them."

Naruto quickly hid behind the rock again, still surprised.

"Why are you doing this...?" Naruto asked. "If you see what the Prime Minister does to his people, then why are you still on his side?!" He raised his voice.

"It's natural that you ask such a question out of desperation." Run's words rang true inside Naruto's head. "But I'm willing to answer. Your way, the revolution, will simply result in more bloodshed."

"More bloodshed?" Naruto thought it was bullshit. "You can't be serious... The Capital is already a slaughter house!"

"Let me put it this way." Run closed his eyes for a moment. "A revolution isn't just a simple battle. It involves even the normal people, the civilians, especially if it happens inside the Capital. That's why I don't want anything to do with the Revolutionary Army." He opened his eyes as a sad look appeared on his face what Naruto didn't see. "I can't..." Run whispered, deep in thought about something from his past.

"The civilians..." Naruto looked down.

"I heard that you took care of Bols-san's daughter today."

"?!" Naruto widened his eyes.

"What if she gets caught in the crossfire? What if something happens to the house she stays in hiding?" Run said. "That's why it would be so much easier to change this country from the inside. That's also why I don't understand why you throw away such an opportunity and run away, even though we are thinking so similarly."

...

_'He is right.'_ Naruto brought up his head and looked at the bright blue sky. He joined Night Raid out of sheer anger because of what happened to Sayo and Ieyasu. The rest of it happened like a chain-reaction. But now he met several people outside of Night Raid. He was now scared of what might happen to some of them...

Najenda is the one who knows about all this. He can't say anything back to Run because it might not be true.

What should he do?

Stay hidden inside the Capital...?

Return to Night Raid...?

_'I don't understand...'_ He was ready for battle the moment he joined the assassins. But for a fight of emotions? He didn't understand what to do in such a battle. _'Isn't this the point where someone appears and saves my ass like usual...?!'_ He buried his head into his hands as he yelled at himself for being useless. Naruto reached down with one hand to grab his Teigu. _'Isn't this the time when you start to work...?'_ He stared at his pocket watch.

_"It's okay..."_

"Eh?!"

A voice.

A familiar voice came from his left.

"Bulat..." There, sitting next to him on the ground and looking up to the sky was Bulat. The supossed to be dead member of Night Raid looked down to him and smiled as he brought up his hand to pat his head just like he did many times in the past.

But before he reached his head, Naruto blinked.

When he opened his eyes again, Bulat was nowhere around.

_It's okay._ That is the only thing he heard from him. It was so simple that it wouldn't really mean anything.

But somehow, Naruto felt relaxed.

_'Heh. I am sure as hell pathetic. Why do I have to receive mental support all the time?'_ He smiled as he made up his mind and stood up from the rock.

Slowly but steadily, he walked up to his weapon but didn't pick it up. He just stood above it, looking at Run.

"I killed, lied, deceived. Sorry, Run, I'm past the point of no return." He gave him a weak smile. Naruto would have most likely joined forces with the Jägers... if he would have met them before Night Raid.

"I see." Run returned his smile. "I respect your decision." He readied his Teigu, aiming at Naruto's head. "Then know that I won't be holding back anymore."

"Before that." Naruto reached down and grabbed his weapon. "I'd like to ask you a favor." Run didn't attack so he continued. "After you kill me, can you please not tell the others that I was a member of Night Raid? I don't care what you tell Esdeath in private, but I'd appreciate it if you-"

"I understand. Even if you were undercover, the words you spoke and the bonds you made with the others were genuine and sincere." Run finshed it for him.

While Naruto did lie about a thing or two, he now considered the members of the Jägers his friends. Even if some killed one of his comrade or did terrible things.

"Thanks." Naruto took a defensive stance with his blade pointing forward. The waterfall is now behind him, to reach it, he will have to either move backwards or just simply not care about deflecting the feathers, but that would mean certain death now that Run is serious.

_'This isn't like the fight with Zank or Daidara.'_ Against Zank, he fought so that he could convince himself that he can take a stand against a Teigu-user without having one. Against Daidara, he had Tatsumi's support and he overloaded his Shingu, what resulted in losing a couple years from his lifespan.

Now he doesn't have anything. Just his weapon in his hands. This time, he is fighting to survive. He wiped the blood off from the left side of his head.

"Come!" He yelled as he started to step backwards to reach the waterfall. He can't do anything against long-range attacks.

Run attacked and now around 10 deadly feathers went to kill their target.

He had to protect his head!

Naruto swinged his weapon to block to first one. The projectiles were now too fast for him to dodge.

***Thunk***

But he missed and the feather lodged into his left shoulder but stopped halfway through.

Naruto took two steps back and swinged his weapon again, now to deflect two in one go.

***Thunk***

***Thunk***

He missed again and now two feathers were sticking out of his left leg.

Run flapped with his wings again.

By the time the first wave of the 10 feathers ended, Naruto successfully blocked three while two missed his head and the other two grazed his right arm.

Another wave came. 13 this time.

Naruto blocked four with a simple swing as two passed next to his head. Seeing that he can't block anymore as the next two jabbed into his right upper arm, he turned around and let his back take three shots.

He saw one passing next to his head again.

One step away from the end of the cliff.

_'I made it!'_ He reached the side of the cliff. Now he just had to jump down from the waterfall.

***Thunk***

But the last feather went straight through his right leg where he concentrated his strength. No doubt that Run aimed there for a reason. Now Naruto lost his balance. He wanted to jump, but he couldn't. Instead of a leap of faith, he fell.

And at this rate, he will hit the river-bank instead of the water.

_'Shit... It was a lost cause from the beginning...'_ Naruto closed his eyes, accepting that this won't end well for him. "Guess I'm not going home after all..."

He imagined Akame, Leone or even Tatsumi waiting to grab him in the last few seconds... but everything went black when he his head hit something hard. Was it the water? Or a sharp rock?

After the darkness came the familiar white screen. The emptiness.

...

...

...

***Drip***

Cold.

***Drip***

Something cold was dripping down to his forehead. Did he die? Is this Heaven? Or even Hell? Waking up in Hell would be funny. He certainly deserves it. But why? Because he killed people who deserved worse?

***Drip***

"S..."

The coldness frustrated him.

"Stop..."

***Drip***

Is someone crying above him? Are tears falling down to his forehead? Who would even cry for him...?

***Drip***

Wait.

It's not just his forehead. His whole body felt cold.

Naruto's eyes felt heavy, but he opened them none the less.

"Did I..." The first the he saw was a waterfall. What does a waterfall doing in Hell? Isn't the water supposed to be lava? "Huh...?" No, it's not just the waterfall. There were trees not far from him. A sudden pain appeared inside his chest.

***Cough* *Cough* *Cough***

He coughed to ease the pain. This simple movement forced his mind and body to return to the Earth.

"Wha..." Naruto was resting on his back with the bright blue sky above him. He is at a river-bank not far away from the waterfall. "Ah..." He used something he called strength to turn around to his stomach.

Blood.

The first thing he saw was his blood dripping down from his arms. No, not just his arms. He checked himself and saw several wounds on his body.

That's when it hit him.

"I'm... still alive...?" He remembered today's happenings and how he failed to jump into the water. But how is he alive then? "Did I fell into the water? Did I make it?" He coughed up water what got into his lungs.

But where was Run?

***Growl***

An animal. Or the be more precise, a danger beast looked back to him.

Naruto widened his eyes as he recognized the danger beast. A Jackaleo. It had big horns that grow from the side of its head onward, three red eyes... what were looking for dinner.

***Cough***

"Why now..." The blond spotted his katana in front of him and grabbed it. Using it for support to stand, he pushed himself up, leaning against it. "Give me a break." He was hurting all over, hell he might have broken a bone or two. "At least let me celebrate my survival for a bit..."

He coughed up water again as he readied himself for another fight. The Jackaleo jumped forward with its mouth open.

But before the danger beast could have reached him, its head got cut in half horizontaly from behind.

Long black hair fluttered in the air and red eyes glowed brightly as the person they belonged to ended the danger beast's life.

"Aka..." Naruto recognized the young woman in front of him immediately. "...me?" All the stress, all the nervousness left the blond as he finally saw a person who was not an enemy. A small smile formed on his face as his hands were unable to hold his weapon anymore. "You are late..." He joked as all the adrenaline what kept him going left him and he fell face forward.

"Naruto!" Akame ran forward and grabbed him in time and held him close. She sat down and placed his head on her lap as she smiled. "I'm glad you are still alive."

"Hehe..." He smiled back weakly. Naruto then brought up his right arm and covered his eyes with his forearm. "Kuh..." He didn't want Akame to see his pathetic face. All the stress and pain he had gone through today and his sudden breakdown in Bols' house was the result of this moment. "Thank you..." He whispered in a calm tone with his arm still covering his eyes. "I did a lot of things I shouldn't have back there... I nearly lost myself... So thank you for coming."

Akame just simply watched him, her smile still present.

"Sorry, I probably sound so pathetic."

"Not at all." Akame moved Naruto's arm away from his eyes and looked into his blue eyes with her red orbs. "I'll always come save you."

"..." Naruto flushed red as he saw her smile.

The two stared at each other for a minute before Akame but her hands on his shoulders.

"Can you sit up for a second? I'll treat your wounds immediately." She pulled out a bandage and started treating him.

"Ah! Y-Yeah." Maybe he got too confortable with his head on her lap. Naruto flinched every now and then when Akame pulled the remaining feathers out of his body before wrapping the bandage around the wounds. "But I need to ask. Why are you here and how did you find me...?"

"We've all been going out and keeping watch. I was staking out the Capital's front entrance." She finished treating him. "I rushed after you two when you left the Capital to go hunting." Akame said.

"Oh, that's right!" Naruto remembered the reason why he wanted to hurry. "Tatsumi!" He wanted to help him get away but Run prevented him. "What about him? Is he safe?"

After a moment of silence...

"I'm sorry. You are the first one I caught up to." Akame looked down.

"I see." Naruto grit his teeth. "Then we have to help him!" He tried to stand up on his feet but Akame gently smacked him on the head. "Gah..." The blond placed his hands on the huge red lump what appeared on the top of his head. "What was that for?"

"You are injured, leave Tatsumi to me." Akame said with a stoic face, not leaving any chance to argue.

***Rustle***

The bushes behind them moved and a person rushed out in a hurry.

"It's no good, Akame-chan!" It was Lubbock.

"Lubba!" Naruto stared at his green-haired friend who took deep breaths as if he just ran a marathon.

"Oh, Naruto!" He waved with a smirk before he shook his head. "Wait, this is not the time for that. Akame-chan, Tatsumi is heavily guarded! I couldn't even get close to him!" Lubbock said as Akame widened her eyes. "There were three other Jäger with him."

"Three?" Naruto thought that Tatsumi would only be with Wave. "Wait, Run didn't mention anything about Tatsumi..." Run said that he told Seryu to meet up with them... But Lubbock said three, does that mean Run himself has also joined them? "Akame, Lubbock! Please help! We have to get him out of there!" Naruto grabbed his katana from the ground.

"Get him out? That's impossible!" Lubbock denied his request. "Even if it would be four against three, you would pretty much destroy yourself with those injuries on you. Esdeath is also around so if we were to start a fight, then she would easily spot us."

Naruto couldn't accept it. "The whole reason I stayed behind was to help him get away. I can't just leave him!"

"Then what do you want to do? Go back to them and pick another date?" Lubbock replied.

"..." Then the blond realized. "I... can't do that either..." He gripped the handle of his weapon as his eyes stared at the ground. "I... I've been discovered."

"You've been what?" Lubbock whispered. "You mean, all those wounds on you is because..."

"Yeah. I don't know if Run just simply lost interest after my fall or spared me, but yes. I can't go back now." And that's not all. "What if Tatsumi's been also discovered?"

"Oi, oi... is this for real?" Lubbock scratched the back of his head.

Akame looked to him. "Lubbock, you said that you saw him. Did the Jägers hurt or capture him?"

"No, that's why I'm so surprised. They acted normally without any of them watching Tatsumi. They were just near him. Naruto, are you sure Tatsumi is still undercover?" Lubbock asked him just to be sure.

"Now that I think about it. Run didn't say anything about him. He only told me how I'm part of Night Raid and everything."

The three stayed silent, thinking about what they should do. Naruto looked up to the sky, seeing that the Sun might disappear in an hour at best. Dusk. Esdeath will switch with Wave at dusk, meaning that they would only have an hour to fight off Seryu, Koro, Run, and Wave. If they are a minute late, Esdeath will pulverize them.

Just how long was Naruto unconscious?

And why is he still alive? Could it be that Run left him after the fall? Or did he spared him, aiming for his leg instead of his head in the last moment?

Either way, this left only one choice.

"Dammit... If only Esdeath wouldn't be near." Even if she is on the other side of the mountains, she is the Empire's strongest. Such a short distance is nothing to her. "We have no choice but to... leave." Naruto began but soon felt someone placing a hand on his shoulder.

It was Akame.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, we will head out with everyone to search. If Tatsumi's not in the Palace, then we will find him for sure. For now, all we can do is believe in him that he will stay alive. Bulat entrusted Incursio to him for a reason." Akame's words helped him relax.

Naruto nodded. "Alright. Then tomorrow..."

***Grab***

Lubbock then suddenly grabbed both Naruto's and Akame's hand and rocketed forward, out of the forest. "But more importantly, we have to get out first! We could come face to face with Esdeath if we don't hurry!"

"Ouch." Naruto cried out in pain at every step. His leg got pierced through by the last feather and it's not doing so well. Fortunately, it missed his femoral artery in his thigh so all it caused was some pain. "I'm still injured here..." He sweatdropped as Lubbock continued to pull him.

The three slowed down after they left the forest and the mountain area. They had to treat Naruto's wounds again but other than that, they reached their base safe and sound.

The Sun was down when Naruto stepped in front of the front door, leaning against Akame for support.

He is home again.

***Creaaak***

Lubbock opened the door and pointed behind him when he saw Leone and Mine. "Hey, look who is back!"

The two looked over the green-haired teen and saw Akame helping Naruto inside the Night Raid's base.

"Yo!" Naruto smiled as he waved at the two.

It hasn't even been a week since he left but it sure felt like a year.

**Chapter 11: END**

* * *

**xXxXxXx**

**In Chapter 12: Kill the Mad Scientist:**

**xXxXxXx**

"We finally got Naruto back!"

**xXxXxXx**

"These are Stylish's soldiers!"

**xXxXxXx**

"You have 10 goddamn seconds to drop that Teigu!"

**xXxXxXx**

"New members?"

**xXxXxXx**

* * *

**Thank you for reading!  
**

**Here are the notes I mentioned above.**

**Note #1: _Did Naruto forgive Seryu?  
_The answer is no. He didn't forgive her, not in the slightest. He just simply accepted her** **kind and compassionate side. This**** will have an impact later on.  
**

**Note #2:_ About Bols' family.  
_First of all, I apologize if some of you find his daughter's name ****out of place but I couldn't just leave her unnamed. The reason why I put that scene in is so that Naruto could have some kind of connection with them. (Those who read the manga probably know the fate of the two...)**

**Note #3: "_Doors" left_ _open.  
_I left the unknown issue between Kurome and Naruto ****unresolved. There will be a much better opportunity later on. (Hint~ Hint~) The same goes for Seryu, Koro, and Run.**

**Note #4: _Why couldn't Tatsumi escape?_  
Seryu simply arrived before he and Wave encountered with the Tree Beasts. He didn't risk using Incursio.**

**As always, if you have any question, please send a PM.**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~ ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~****Disclaimer: See Ch. 1.**

**Hey Everyone! New chapter here! I know I say this everytime in the beginning and most of you are probably too tired to read this over and over again, but thank you for the support, I wouldn't be doing ****this without you all!**

**Some of you asked if there will be some kind of romantic connection between Seryu and Naruto. At first, I was only aiming to ****make them good friends, but I somehow added too many signs of something other than a simple friendship. Right now, I can't ****say for sure what I want to do with them in the future.**

**If you have any questions, please send a PM.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Kill the Mad Scientist (Part 1)**

**One Day Later.**  
**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Naruto's Room.**  
**Morning.**

* * *

A gentle breeze swept in from the open window and caressed the hair of the person who slept in the bed inside the now bright room. Now that his senses are sharper and his awareness is high, this warm wind was more than enough to wake Naruto up from his well deserved sleep. Slowly but steadily, he opened his eyes.

It's been a day since he returned to Night Raid.

For some reason, he managed to survive a fight against a Teigu user using only skills what a normal human is capable of. No Shingu, no Teigu. Yesterday, he gave the others a half-tired report about what happened at the Jägers but soon fell asleep in the living room. How he got up to his room is seems to be today's mistery.

Not like he was able to solve any mysteries so far, but for some reason he knew that Leone was the one who brought him up here.

The woman wanted to celebrate his return but he was so tired and injured that he couldn't stay awake. Besides, it's not like he had the spirit to celebrate... Not while Tatsumi is still with the Jägers.

"It's morning already...?" He tilted his head to look outside the window near his bed. The weather was quite good today. Naruto pushed the blanket to the side and got out of the bed. Streching his limbs followed by a huge yawn, he readied himself for the day.

Or... at least that's what he wanted when he turned to his right and walked straight into the wall of his room.

"Eh?" He looked surprised as he blinked several times, inspecting the wall where a door leading to a bathroom was supposed to be. "Oh..." Then he realized it. "My room here doesn't have a shower." He remembered cleaning his mind inside the bathroom at the Jägers everyday, it took him a minute to understand that he is not inside the Capital anymore.

He left his room to wash his face and finish his morning routine before returning.

Naruto stepped closer to his still half-empty wardrobe and stared at the clothes inside. He grabbed a white shirt and rolled up its sleeves and pulled on a gray pants but his hand stopped when he wanted to reach out for his jacket.

Inside the wardrobe were his worn-out blue jacket what he used as a Jäger and his black high collar jacket what he bought as an assassin. He forgot that he bought two of the black jacket, remembering that he left the one he used to wear in his room at the Jägers. Being cautious certainly paid off.

He decided to grab his black jacket after a moment of hesitation.

Naruto was still tired.

Exiting his room for the second time, he walked down the stairs and made his way to the dining room. There, reaching for a basket on the table, Lubbock grabbed an apple and took a quick bite before coming face to face with Naruto.

"Oh, morning!" The green-haired teen greeted him with a wave.

"Mornin'..." Naruto yawned again as he moved up to the table like robot and sat down, his eyes half-closed.

"Whoa, someone had a rough night." Lubbock decided to stay for a while inside the dining room to keep Naruto company. He pretty much had nothing else to do other than lazying around.

"Very funny..." Naruto answered quietly as he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. Maybe he should have stayed in bed for a little while. 5 or 10 more minutes... or an hour.

"Your wounds?" Lubbock took another bite from the apple.

"Healing." Without opening his eyes and his face looking up to the ceiling, the blond replied. "My pierced leg still hurts but since nothing important was damaged, pain is the only thing I should worry about if I move." He brought up his hands and wiped away the sleepiness from his eyes to fully wake up.

He slapped his cheeks from both sides.

"Alright, finally wide awake!" Naruto exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air with a smile. His day finally started. "What's for breakfast today, Wave?" He moved his head to look at his friend.

"...Eh?" Before Lubbock could take another bite from the apple, he dropped it with his mouth left open.

Silence.

The two stared at each other with wide eyes.

"Wha..." Naruto looked down to the ground when he realized his mistake and placed a hand on his face. For a moment, right before he wanted to ask for breakfast, the picture of him speaking with Wave at the table appeared inside his head and he switched Lubbock with his seafood-lover friend at the last moment. "S-Sorry!"

"Are you... sure you're alright?"

Lubbock looked worried and confused as he picked up the previously dropped apple. While it is understandable that a person might mix up things if a certain situation leaves a huge impact on him... but it's Naruto they are talking about. Seeing him struggle like that makes the green-haired assassin think that the whole undercover mission among the Jägers did more bad things to the blond than good.

"Y-Yeah. I just..." Naruto removed his hand from his face and faked a smile before he suddenly froze. He looked horrified when he saw the right hand he just moved away.

His hand was shaking and he felt like throwing up. His heartbeat was also off the charts.

***Ba-Dumm* *Ba-Dumm* *Ba-Dumm***

It felt like hot lava ran through his veins, melting his body away. His vision turned blury as he desperately tried to narrow his eyes to regain his focus.

"...to..."

It didn't work. Everything just turned worse when he saw a red line running down to his fingers from his forearm. A vein inside his arm just turned glowing red.

"...ruto."

He was petrified. There was no pain or anything, Naruto just didn't know what was happening to him. First it was confusion, what soon evolved to fear.

"Naruto!"

Lubbock's loud voice brought him back to reality as Naruto looked to the side. His friend placed a hand on his shoulder to try and shake him back to normal. Naruto tilted his head back to his arm only to see that it was normal again. He soon realized that his vision has also returned and he no longer had the urge to empty his stomach.

Maybe it was his imagination? Was he really that nervous and stressed?

"If you are not feeling well, then you should say so. No reason to hide it."

"No, really, I'm alright. I got my ass handed to me yesterday but I managed to get away without anything serious." Naruto replied with a now honest smile. Though maybe Run just simply spared him... or maybe he was lucky. "Anyway, guess I'm not that hungry anymore..." He sighed. He wanted to throw up just a minute ago, it wasn't that hard to lose his appetite.

"Heh, here I thought you will bite the dust and I can have all the women here for myself." Lubbock joked around.

"And I remember a certain something I said back in the Capital... You know, about telling Boss about your Harem King tendencies." Naruto did tell him that he will mention this to Najenda just for fun. His green-haired friend looked terrified when he said this so it was time to use this to his advantage.

Though Naruto did get a little pissed when his friend mentioned 'all' the girls. For some reason, he didn't wanted to see _'her'_ with him... or anyone.

"O-Of course I'm happy that you're healthy and returned in one piece, that was just a joke... yes, a joke..." A sweatdrop rolled down on Lubbock's face as he laughed nervously.

"Why are you so scared when I mention Boss anyway? I know she is quite intimidating sometimes but she is not _'that'_ scary."

"No. It's not that. Rather because..." He trailed off.

"Umm, could it be that you..." Naurto didn't even have to finish it as he already got his answer.

"You have a problem with that?"

"Nope." Naruto shrugged with his shoulders with an innocent look on his face. Other people's love life doesn't concern him. A short silence followed as he decided to change topic. Now that he thought about it, there was nobody around other then Lubbock. "Where are the other?"

"Mine is upstairs, probably still sleeping." Naruto arched an eyebrow as he listened. Typical Mine, always waking up at the last moment. Well, neither of them has the luxury to complain since they are too afraid to even walk near her room remembering that she almost turned Tatsumi into a swiss cheese when he tried to wake her up. "Leone and Akame-chan are around the Capital, waiting if the Jägers decide to go out for another hunt."

That's right, Tatsumi is still with them. Akame promised that they will look for him today, he can't relax until he is safe and sound.

"Do you think they will succeed? Finding Tatsumi I mean." Naruto asked.

"Hmm. Can't be too sure, it's Esdeath we are talking about. As much as she loves brainless fighting, she is a general for a reason. Your disappearance might result in her being more cautious. And with that said, she will focus on Tatsumi now more than ever." Lubbock was most likely right. Now that the Jägers have lost a member, the Empire's Strongest will force their friend to stay close to her at all times.

"Then the chance of him escaping is..."

"Probably zero. At least today."

Naruto clenched his fists as his face turned emotionless and he stared at the table with an empty look. If he would have avoided getting involved with the Empire, Tatsumi would have been able to escape. It's all because Run found out that he is with Night Raid.

The Prime Minister, the young Emperor, Esdeath, Budo, the Jägers. Things are starting to get serious.

***Shhh***

Naruto stood up from his seat and pushed his hands inside his jacket's pockets. "I'm off to train a little." He said without looking back.

"With a leg like that?" Lubbock warned him.

Naruto stopped but still refused to look back. "I just want to test my accuracy, I won't jump around."

"I fixed up your belt and put some strings inside like last time. I bring it to your room in the afternoon."

"...Thanks."

* * *

**At the same time.**  
**Capital.**  
**Jägers' Headquarters.**

* * *

_'This must be just a sick joke...'_ Tatsumi was sitting in the dining room. He lowered his head and stared at the table with wide and hollow eyes, hands next to him untouched breakfast.

Yesterday while he was hunting for Tree Beasts, Seryu showed up, saying that her and Naruto decided to separate to cover more ground but Run arrived and told her to meet up with him and Wave. Half an hour later, the user of Mastema showed up, saying those three words that still rang inside Tatsumi's head.

Naruto is dead... is what he said. Or to be more precise, he is missing. Run informed the group that he found a pool of fresh blood. Of course, the blood could have belonged to a Danger Beast but when the Jäger showed the broken parts of a hidden knife and a string, the group recognized that it belonged to Naruto. All of the members saw his equipment at least once.

_This can't be happening, that's not true,_ came from Wave and Seryu. Run guided them to the location where he found the parts and they immediately started to look for him. Not far ahead, the four got in contact with a bunch of Jackaleo danger beasts eating something that looked like an arm. Several number of corpses were also around them but they were beyond recognizable.

_'He can't just simply die from a weak danger beast!'_ Tatsumi clenched his fists at the table.

The group stayed behind to search until the Sun went down but they've found no clue about Naruto...

...only a Super Class danger beast what Esdeath soon eliminated. Some of them said that the blond must have run into the monster.

Naruto's disappearance shook some of the Jägers quite hard. Especially Wave and Seryu. The girl refused to leave her room ever since yesterday's night. She haven't eaten anything from that point. Her cries could be heard outside of her locked room. Wave was silent as if thinking hard about something. When Tatsumi asked what he was thinking about, he simply changed the topic and left.

Bols was also greately affected.

But as for Kurome... Tatsumi knew that she and Naruto were friends from a long time ago. And still... the girl looked like she didn't even care. She kept her normal attitude and expression.

Stylish... was nowhere around.

Esdeath kept him close outside the Palace, so there were no opportunities for him to escape. Not without getting into a fight with the Empire's Strongest and he is sure as hell that he won't be able to escape from her. She also told the brown-haired boy that there is a possibility that Naruto accidently ran into a member of Night Raid who killed him... but of course, that would be impossible and Tatsumi didn't even care to think about that.

She took the information that Naruto might be dead unusually well. She haven't even questioned Run what was he doing out there with the others. Tatsumi remembered Run wanting to speak with Esdeath in private as soon as they've returned.

And as for the user of Mastema himself...

_'Kuh...'_ Tatsumi grit his teeth as he saw Run entering the dining room with his usual smile. The last person who saw Naruto is him. He refused to accept that Naruto is dead. So the only answer for him was...

_'What the hell did he do to him...?!'_ Tatsumi glared at Run as he had trouble keeping his anger in check.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Training Grounds.**  
**Around Noon.**

* * *

***Pant* *Pant***

Naruto took deep breaths as he focused on calming his already rapidly beating heart. He leaned forward and placed his hands on his legs while still standing to support himself in case he would lose his balance.

But falling face forward would not matter at this point since his eyes were fixed on the dummy he used for target practice.

His goal was to throw fifty knives into the dummy's head. The knives were separated into ten waves with five attempts in each. He decided that he will run up and gather the weapons before running back into his previously spot. The distance between him and the dummy was moderate but not in the least close.

A moment ago, he just threw the last one. To his surprise, it was a direct hit yet again.

"A-Amazing..." Naruto said in a surprised tone between two deep breaths.

46 out of 50 knives reached the dummy. 38 of them hit its head. While for an assassin, this was a pretty bad performance, for him... this was more than he could wish for.

"I never really trained much in throwing knives, in fact, this was my very first training where I took it seriously." Naruto was now able to see the result of his training with Bulat, Akame, and the others in the past one month. "If my leg wasn't injuried then I would jump up and down in joy!"

He felt like he just took one big step towards Esdeath and Budo.

"Wait, when did I even consider that Budo guy a person I want to defeat...?" Maybe because he got scared from his aura or simply because he was a general. "Oh well..." He shrugged with his shoulders.

***Boing***

Then he felt something heavy and soft landing on his head.

_'Don't tell me...'_ His right eye twitched. Two, something soft, and that boing sound effect, just what and who could it be? Naruto wondered.

There is only one person who could have those assets.

"Mine!" Naruto yelled as he turned around.

***Flick***

"Gah..." The young man soon placed a hand on his forehead as the person behind him flicked him with her finger. Naruto staggered backwards.

"You want to take this joke to a whole new level, don't ya?" In front of Naruto stood Leone, looking slightly offended that he responded like that again. The young woman thought that his early reactions were more cute and innocent when she entered his intimate sphere. Though his current reactions were also fine, trying to supress his embarrassment and all.

"I could say the same thing..." Naruto sweatdropped. Leone is using her boobs way too much to tease him, it was getting old... and much more harder to endure. She was teasing him since the day he joined Night Raid and thanks to being a healthy young man, he'd like to avoid succumbing to his beastly urges.

"Eh? So you are saying that you don't want to touch them anymore?" Leone sounded crestfallen as she brought up her hands and placed them on her breasts. She moved them up and down to check if there was something wrong with them that made Naruto suddenly hate the feeling of them brushing against him.

"When have I ever wanted to touch them?!" Naruto shouted as blood bursted out of his nose as he saw Leone's hands moving her breasts up and down.

Leone stared at him with a stoic look as her hands stopped moving.

The Training Grounds was dangerously silent for a moment.

"Is that a no then?" Just once, Leone pushed her assets up again with an innocent look.

"Drop the topic already!" Naruto now held his nose with both hands. He was trying to look her in the eyes but his blue orbs slowly sneaked down every now and then.

"Don't worry, don't worry~!" Leone smiled and laughed as she threw an arm around Naruto's neck and pulled him close to her.

Naruto was ready to hold back his breath for obvious reasons but he was surprised to see the she decided to stop half-way. He looked up to her, seeing that Leone was gazing into the distance with a faraway look.

_'I... never saw her with that face.'_ He thought as he stared at her.

Leone smiled sadly.

"I'm glad, you know..." She said it out loud with her eyes still fixed on the white clouds far ahead. "The previous few weeks were really sad for every one of us. First we lost Bulat, then you disappeared, and Tatsumi was also taken away soon after. It's nice to see you again after roaming around in the Capital for days." Leone admitted as a gentle breeze swept through the field and she closed her eyes for a moment.

_'Never thought that a woman with an upbeat and relaxed personality joined with the lack of ladylike manners could look this cute...'_ Naruto said inside his head as he gently got out of Leone's hold.

The wind then died down.

"So is that your way of saying you missed me?" Naruto flashed a grin.

"Don't overthink it." The young woman then also grinned and slightly punched him on the shoulder.

The two then looked at each other before they shared a laugh.

"By the way, how come you're already back?" Naruto asked as he remembered that she and Akame left to search for Tatsumi.

Instead of an answer, Leone pointed towards their base and told him to go back inside. "Let's go inside, Akame should arrive soon."

"...Oookay?" Naruto looked confused but quickly gathered his throwing knives and went after her.

* * *

**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Living Room.**  
**Afternoon.**

* * *

Upon returning, Naruto made his way to the dining room and filled his stomach after skipping today's breakfast. He decided to eat something light what quickly brought the attention of the others onto him. Mine simply blinked from the surprise, Leone shrugged with her shoulders as she placed a sake bottle next to Naruto's meal, much to his frustration, and Lubbock shouted that the blond must have hit his head hard.

When they asked Naruto what happened to his daily ramen, he was unable to provide an answer. He just simply didn't want to eat ramen today, it wasn't a big deal anyway.

Soon after, Akame arrived, bringing the same bad news what Leone told him.

The Jägers remained inside the Capital, meaning that there was no way to rescue Tatsumi.

The group then entered the living room as Akame told Naruto that he should explain everything to them once again now that he wasn't exhausted. All of them sat down on either a sofa or a chair when Naruto began from the start. How he was forced to join the Jägers, how he talked with the other members, how he acted on their first mission, and how he got away from his fight with Run.

He also added the last piece of information about their Teigu. Grand Chariot, Wave's Teigu, was an armor type just like Incursio.

It will most likely cause trouble later on.

"Hmm... I'd still like a little bit more info on their Teigu." Lubbock mumbled as he scratched his chin. Several pieces of paper were in front of him on a table as he wrote down the abilities of the unknown Teigu in the Empire's possession. "Seryu's strength has been heightened by weapons placed in her body, right?" He finished the raw sketch of Rubicante.

"Info on the Winged Teigu Mastema is already in the notebook." Mine said from the side with Pumpkin beside her.

"But its special ability is still unknown..." Lubbock finished.

"Speaking of abilites..." Naruto spoke up. "You already told me about Yatsufusa, but what about that homo's Teigu, Perfector? I haven't seen it in action and Esdeath only mentioned it briefly. All I know is that it's somehow connected to those enhanced soldiers of his, and there is also the arsenal Seryu has." He voiced his concern.

"We don't know much about it." Lubbock replied. "It isn't an offensive type so the chances of seeing it on the battlefield is almost zero. That's why gathering intel of these types are especially hard and require more work." He then brought his arms behind his head. "Still, the remaining Teigu we have close to no information are this Perfector... and that armor type Grand Chariot."

"That doctor guy is the one I want to take out first." Mine said. "If we can do that, I'd like to get a hold of that Perfector. Creating prosthetic limbs would drastically increase the Revolutionary Army's effectiveness." Having Perfector on their side could mean victory, while if the enemy has it, it could mean that their troops will be enhanced and be more powerful than normal humans.

The group stayed silent...

***Grab***

...until Leone grabbed Naruto and pulled him in a tight hug. "Your efforts really paid off. Just knowing what kind of people we'll be taking on is a big help! Well done, Naruto!"

"Glad I could help..." He muttered with a small blush as his head was squeezed in more. While his eyebrows twitched, he didn't try to free himself and simply accepted his position.

"So... What do you think of those two after seeing them in person?" Mine asked Naruto, annoyed how his face was between Leone's breasts.

Budo and Esdeath...

"To tell the truth..." Naruto was released from the hug. "I know it would be a meaningless one sided battle, but I'd rather fight Esdeath three times than Budo once." He looked down at his now shaking hand as he remembered the time he felt Budo's aura.

"?!" The other members stared at Naruto with wide eyes.

"How come? Esdeath is supposed to be the Empire's strongest." Leone asked.

"I know, but something about that guy's presence completely paralyzed me for a moment. He could have killed me a hundred times in that one moment. That's why I'd rather fight against a person who can pulverize me than a person who can scare me to death. Anyway, it doesn't change the fact that I don't stand a chance against either of them."

"So it's either him or Esdeath... Well, as you said, things won't really change since both of them are strong." Lubbock said it out loud."

"What's up with that guy anyway?" Naruto was curious as who this Budo really is.

"Great General Budo." Akame spoke up after staying silent for a while. "One of The Empire's most feared and well-respected generals, as well as the one who leads the Imperial Guard. He is also in charge of protecting the Palace." She finished and gripped her Teigu, Murasame.

"And that means we have to go through him if we want to take out the Prime Minister..." Naruto looked out the window for a moment, seeing that the Sun was about to go down. Time sure pass quickly these days.

"Yes..." Akame's calm voice echoed through the room. "Budo and Esdeath are certainly powerful... But they have a weakness." She used her sheated Teigu for support as she stood up with her hair shadowing her eyes. "They are alive. They have a beating heart. If so... I will kill them for sure. Even if they are the fabled strongests of the Empire!"

The others stared at her without saying a word.

"Hehe... As always, all my doubt vanish when you say things like this." Naruto grinned as he leaned back on the sofa.

"That's our trump card for you. Just what you'd expect!" Lubbock too grinned. "But aren't you supposed to be the one to say those lines, Naruto?" He whispered.

"It's not an idle boast coming from out honor student. Rather than say it, please do it." Mine crossed her arms with a smile.

"Ending it with one hit from Murasame would be great. Well... it really appears we're going to have to rely on this strategy, huh." Leone released a deep breath.

"Back to the Jägers ... As of right now, they have the advantage in numbers, not including Tatsumi on either side. That's why, if we can rescue him, we might stand a chance against them with the exception of Esdeath." Naruto said with confidence.

And with that, the talk about their future plans ended. The mood soon changed into a happier one as the Night Raid members started to have a small party for Naruto, whose birthday was yesterday. It was kinda ironic that he escaped on the day of his supposed birthday. Mine even commented that his survival was his present.

Nighttime arrived and along with it, dinner.

Mine remained composed and only drank water, refusing to have any kind of alcohol while Akame ate as much meat as she could.

"Phaaah! Damn, this beer's good!" Leone smashed the mug of beer down on the table, nearly breaking it in the process. "And with this, I'm offically designating you as my drinking buddy, Naruto!"

"C-Cut it out. I told you that I won't drink more than two mugs of beer." Naruto grumbled as he placed his now empty mug on the table.

"What, whyyyy?" Leone looked crestfallen as she brough up her own half-full mug to Naruto's mouth who was forced to drink it.

"Kuh... Have some ladylike manners for God's sake! You haven't even realized what you just did!" Now that he had some alcohol in his system, Naruto gave voice to his thoughts much more easily.

"Relax and live a little~. Ohh, what's that cute blush on your face?" She teased and showed him a grin.

"I'm just drunk, that's why my face is red!" Naruto replied with a raised and embarrassed voice.

"You don't sound drunk enough to me." Leone raised her hand to grab him. "Let me help you with that."

"Oh no you won't!" Naruto immediately stood up and dashed for the door, only to get caught after taking four steps.

From the side, Lubbock watched the two with a sorrowful look.

"First Tatsumi, now Naruto. Why am I the only one who is not popular...? Not fair." He sobbed in the corner.

The small party continued as they soon fell asleep one by one after time passed by.

The last time they had something like this was before Sheele died. At that time, there were 9 of them. Now that Tatsumi is in the Capital and Najenda is away, there are just 5 of them inside the building.

* * *

**8 Hours Later.**  
**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Living Room.**  
**Dawn.**

* * *

***Yaaaaawn***

Leone let out a yawn as her eyes opened slowly in the middle of the room on the sofa. Something heavy was on her left side but she was too dizzy to see what it was. The only thing she saw was an empty mug on her chest.

"Before I even noticed, I had fallen asleep..." Since her left arm refused to move, she used her right one to rub her eyes. "I bet the others are something close to that as well..." She let out another yawn.

There was a white sheet on her, probably someone covered her after she fell asleep. Leone quickly pushed it to the side and decided to simply threw the unknown weight on her left side down from the sofa.

***Boom***

"Gah!" Something heavy fell down on the floor and let out a painful cry.

"And what exactly were you doing next to me, Naruto?" She asked innocently as Naruto remained on the ground with face looking down.

"Not another mug... please... six was enough..." He mumbled with sorrow.

"Even now, you still wear it..." She whispered when she saw the orange scarf around his neck what she gave him for his birthday.

Seeing that he won't wake up anytime soon, Leone grinned as she looked at the sleeping Naruto and stood up. She left the living room.

"Guess I'll just wash my face and head off to the Capital." She exited the building and went to the bath area to clean her face.

She kneeled down in front of the surprisingly still warm water.

"Damn sleepy..."

She splashed the liquid to her face to fully wake up.

"...Hn?" Something felt wrong.

Leone looked down to the water only to come face to face with a man having a playful smile.

It wasn't her reflection, it was an intruder!

"Wha-?!" Before she was able to react, a hidden knife shot up from the water and headed straight for her right eye.

The knife reached her.

* * *

**At the same time.**  
**Living Room.**

* * *

***Yaaaawn***

The blond who previously fell down from the sofa yawned.

"How did I wake up on the ground? I thought I made it to my room yesterday." Naruto said it out loud with his eyes closed as he left the living room and moved forward in the hallway to reach the stairs.

"Hm?"

When he looked back, he saw that the backdoor leading to the pool outside was wide open. Naruto saw as the wind blew a couple leaves inside the building so he decided to close the door.

"Geez, who left the door open...?" The blond walked away from the stairs and moved through the hallway.

However, before his hand could slide the door back, his eyes widened.

"..." Naruto looked outside as a sudden bad feeling filled his body.

Giving in to his curiosity, he stepped out and moved forward.

***Splash***

A splashing sound reached his ears as he saw Leone falling into the water with her head first. Behind her falling figure stood a person wearing a dark brown hat, long trench coat and trousers with the same color. A knife was present in his left hand.

"I dit it, Stylish-sama! One down!" The man with red hair exclaimed in happiness as he let Leone fall into the pool.

"..." Naruto froze. This was not what he expected. His mind couldn't keep up.

"Oh, another one? Perfect! I, Trooma will execute another one in the name of Stylish-sama!"

"Leo...ne?" Naruto muttered with wide eyes.

Enemy.

Fallen comrade.

Danger.

"What is it? Cat got your tounge?" The man name Trooma stepped forward.

Stylish.

Jägers.

Discovery.

"It seems that way." The intruder readied his knife and dashed forward.

Knife.

Battle.

Kill...

"Stay still and let me kill you!" Trooma laughed.

Kill!

"You son of a...!" As if a gun was fired, Naruto jump-started his brain and ran forward with eyes focused on the incoming knife. He let the blade pass through between his left middle and ring finger before he grabbed the intruders hand.

***Grab***

"What the-?!"

Naruto grabbed Trooma's hand, pulled back his right arm, and punched the man in the face with all his might without giving him time to dodge.

"Guaaah!"

With emotionless eyes, Naruto watched as Trooma hit the ground. The knife cut his left hand slightly but he could care less about that.

"Hey, Leone-?!" Naruto run forward to the pool to get her out but he stopped when he felt several new presences above him.

***Crash***

He flipped backwards to get out of harm's way as soldiers crashed into the ground. Taking a closer look at the newcomers, Naruto saw that they looked exactly like Stylish's minions back inside the Palace.

Before he could think further, one of them rocketed forward and aimed a powerful blow at him.

Right before the fist could reach him, Naruto crossed his arms and stepped back as he blocked the attack. However, it was stronger than he thought. The punch pushed him off the ground and he flew across the area and right back into the building, crashing into a wooden chair.

***Cough* *Cough*** "Their strength has increased..." Naruto pushed himself off the ground as one of the soldiers stepped up to him.

He left his katana up inside his room and his jacket was also back in the living room so he had no hidden knives. All he could do was to reach for a nearby chair and smash it into the incoming enemy's head.

***Crackle!***

The chair broke in an instant and could only stop the enemy for a second. Naruto felt that his arms were numb and he was dizzy.

_'Perfect timing for a hangover!'_ He rolled out of a sharp claw strike's way and run through the hallway to reach the stairs. Other enemies entered the building from the backdoor as he run up the stairs. "Shit, what the hell is going on?!"

"Kill..."

Taking a quick look on front of him, Naruto saw an enhanced soldier staring back at him from the top of the stairs.

The blond leaned to the side to avoid the enemy's attack and kicked him down the stairs. He watched as the enemy rolled down into the other uninvited guests.

"Tch..." Naruto turned around just in time to avoid getting pierced. Using his speed, he didn't even bother to see the attacker's face as he grabbed the enemy's arm and threw him down the stairs right after the previous unlucky bastard. "They even got up here in such a short time..."

He left the staircase and run through the long hallway on the first floor.

"I need to get to my room." His room was at the end of the hallway.

***Boom***

Right after he said those words out loud, the wall next to him exploded, sending the remains flying straight to him.

Naruto reacted instantly and he jumped back.

His eyes opened wide as the new enemy used its legs to kick the bigger rubbles at him. Naruto tilted his head to the side as he jumped back to avoid getting hit. However, he was unable to notice the small knife coming at him between the debris in time and it cut into his right shoulder before reaching the wall behind him.

"Hooo? So you were able to see and react to the incoming knife despite my distraction. Not bad." A man stepped out of the freshly created hole in the wall. He must have entered the building from one of the empty rooms. "But..." He pointed at Naruto's bleeding shoulder. "...You were a moment too late."

"And you are...?" Naruto asked in a cold tone. In front of him stood a man with dark hair, small glasses, wearing a blue robe and some kind of helmet. He looked different then the rest of the masked foot soldiers, so Naruto assumed that he was a more important and stronger individual.

"My name is Toby." He brought up his right arm as blades came out of it. "You are not the one I wanted to ask for a challenge, but I can't turn a blind eye to a target."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he reached behind him, not taking them off of the man in front of him. "Then you probably know that it was a mistake to give a free weapon to an unarmed enemy." He grabbed the knife what previously cut his shoulder and pulled it out of the wall.

"I'm aware. It wouldn't be much of a challenge otherwise." Toby answered.

"..." Naruto stayed silent as he prepared himself for the fight and took a basic stance.

* * *

**At the same time.**  
**Outside.**

* * *

Not far from the Night Raid building, a man wearing a white cape smiled as he observed the destruction of the assassin group. Finding their base was truly a blessing.

"Stylish-sama, Toby has engaged the traitorous assassin, the one with blonde hair." Came a feminine voice next to the man as a young woman informed him about what was happening inside the building. Just like every other people, she too was "upgraded". Thanks to her now overly large ears, she could detect the lowest of sounds even from afar.

"Uzumaki Naruto, huh. Strange, I thought that Toby was eager to fight with the infamous Akame." Stylish sighed before a smile formed on his face. "But still, I knew that we had a traitor among us, but I was under the impression that it was that new boy, Tatsumi. To find out that it was actually Naruto-kun... Oh my, the Prime Minister will be furious to lose his hardly acquired toy."

More of the doctor's minions stormed into the hideout.

"But, let's see how he fares against Toby. It would be a shame if all those experiments were for nothing. His Teigu should start functioning again soon, I can hardly wait."

* * *

**Back inside.**

* * *

***Clank***

Sparks flew in the air as two blades met in the middle of the hallway.

Toby fired off the blade from his forearm after exchanging blows with Naruto.

***Thunk***

While on the run, Naruto stepped to the side and let the flying blade pass next to his head. He turned around and stabbed with his knife only for his eyes to open wide when the attack was blocked by another pair blades, now from Toby's left forearm.

As the two locked their blades together, Toby smirked and pushed the blond back. Naruto rolled away from the incoming slash as the enemy's back became wide open.

_'There!'_ He yelled inside his head as he got behind the enhanced soldier.

But right before the knife could stab into him, hidden blades bursted out of Toby's back, cutting Naruto's arms and cheek as he couldn't block all of them.

"Bastard. Just how many blades do you have installed in your body?" He asked with a glare as Toby turned around to face him.

"This is the difference between you and me. With Stylish-sama's help, I've become something far more than human." The enemy answered in a calm tone. "I've surpassed the limits of a human body."

"...All that you've become is a weak-minded machine. And as far as I know, machines can be broken if we try a bit harder." Naruto replied emotionlessly as he readied himself.

"I'm afraid you are way out of your league."

***Boom***

The second floor above Naruto exploded as several foot soldiers landed behind him.

"Not even a fair fight, huh." The blond said in a sarastic tone.

"The one I wanted to fight in a one-on-one battle is not you. I'd like to end this fight as fast I can." Toby started walking forward.

Naruto observed the minions behind him and nodded to himself.

"Then I guess I won't play nice anymore." He smirked as he turned around and run straight to the foot soldiers behind him.

"How rude of you, to run away from a battle..." Toby dashed forward.

Right as Naruto arrived in front of the enemies, he jumped above them to avoid an attack before stepping on their head and leaping up to the second floor through the hole what the newcomers have created.

"I won't let you get away!" Toby followed him through the hole.

When Naruto reached the stairs leading down, he threw his knife at Toby who easily deflected it but it still cost him a second or two to do that.

That was all Naruto needed as he returned to the first floor and forcefully opened the first door to his right and closed it behind him. He checked the room, his room, before moving up to a cabinet, barricading the door. That should buy at least 10 seconds.

Naruto walked up to his desk and picked up his new belt what Lubbock made for him and put it on himself. He also grabbed his katana and placed the sheat on the belt.

Seeing that he still had some time before the enemy will breach the door, he moved up to the wardrobe and opened it. Taking a quick look inside, he was reminded that he left his black jacket downstairs in the living room.

The only jacket he had inside was the blue one what he got when he joined the Jägers.

With a determined look, he made up his mind and grabbed it before putting it on. A familiar sensation ran through his body as the door bursted open along with the cabinet. Something inside the jacket's left pocket glowed.

***Crash!***

"You are not getting awa-" Toby jumped inside the room and aimed a powerful stab before his eyes grew wide when Naruto vanished from his sight in a blue blur. "He disappeared?!"

***Slash***

A moment later, Naruto appeared behind the still shocked Toby whose left arm fell down on the ground. He was surprised to see blood coming out of his body, considering that he was more like a machine.

"Y-You!" Toby looked behind him with a glare.

"I told you." Naruto kept his calm and narrowed his eyes with his katana now in his hands. "I'm done playing nice."

"That speed, is that your Teigu's ability?" The enemy asked.

"Who knows... You barged into our home uninvited, so don't expect me to reveal anything." Naruto took a stance and aimed the point of his weapon at Toby's face from the distance. Even if he looked calm, he was more than shocked when he could use his Shingu's ability again.

And yet, it felt somewhat different from the time he last used his Shingu. But he could care less about that at the moment.

"Don't get all-mighty just because you cut off my arm." A long blade bursted out of Toby's body to replace his lost arm.

"Being a Jäger or not..." Naruto began with his newly found resolve. "I will hunt down anyone who stands in the way of the peace we are fighting for!"

He checked his surroundings.

_'I can't fight in my room without accidently stabbing my weapon into the wall.'_ Knowing that his door was destroyed, Naruto jumped back into the hallway and watched as Toby followed him.

The two locked blades again before an axe-like weapon came out of Toby's right ankle. He raised his leg and aimed to cut Naruto's head off but the blond took a step back in the last moment.

But before they could continue the fight, a shadow appeared above Toby's head and slashed at him with a long katana. The machine-like man brought his right arm up as his fingers shot forward with sharp blades in the place of their nails.

***Clank***

Each of the fingers were deflected as the shadow landed in front of Naruto.

"Akame...?" Naruto exclaimed as he watched the red-eyed girl smiling back to him. His cheeks turned slightly red when he saw her attire. She was still in her pajamas.

"I'm glad to see that you are alright, Naruto."

"Uwooo." The two then turned their head to the right only to see Lubbock running away from a horde of enemies.

Naruto looked at Akame as if asking for her permission. The girl simply nodded and he turned away and dashed forward to help his friend.

"The infamous Akame. I've been waiting for this moment." Toby said as he stared at her. "It's a shame that I'm no longer in top shape."

* * *

**With Lubbock and Naruto.**

* * *

***Slash***

Naruto slashed through the enemies with ease now that he had his katana. Combined with the support from Lubbock, the two were able to dispose of the incoming threats quite easily. Too bad that this was just the first wave.

"Phew, thanks for coming." Lubbock gave him a thumbs up.

"No problem. I'm happy to see that you and Akame are alright. I saw Leone getting hit downstairs, but I had no other choice but to leave thanks to an ambush." Naruto looked down as he remembered seeing Leone falling into the pool. Seeing her falling figure caused a painful feeling inside his chest, why... he didn't know.

"Don't worry. Her regeneration rate is abnormal thanks to her Teigu. She will be fine."

"I-" Naruto was cut off as they heard an explosion from outside. The two moved to the window and saw that nearly an army of enemies stood outside.

"Shit, this is bad. There is too many of them. If they get inside, we'll be cornered!"

"I have an idea." The blond quickly made up his mind. "Can you get a long string for me?"

"Wait, don't tell me..." The green-haired teen had an idea of what Naruto had in mind.

"Exactly. All you have to do is to hold me while I get down." Naruto said.

"...Fine, but do it quickly." Lubbock held out a string from his Teigu as he looked to the side. "I need to support Akame-chan."

"Thanks!" Naruto opened the window and grabbed the string. "Hope this won't cut my fingers off though..." Then he jumped out. He could have used the strings from his belt, but he only had two shots with that. It would be a waste to use it for something like this.

***Zzzzsssshhh***

He could feel as his falling was getting slower and slower before he reached the ground.

"Kuh...!" Naruto grit his teeth as he felt a sharp pain running through his injured leg when he landed on his feet. "Come, you bastards!" He yelled as he run forward, not caring about the pain.

One.

Two.

Five.

Nine.

Thirteen.

He cut down the enemies more easily than before. Now that he got a good look of them, it wasn't an army. Naruto soon finished off the last one in a simple swing.

Then...

"Oh, he is out, he is ooout!" ...a voice came from his left.

As Naruto turned his head to the side, his eyes registered a man who had a large, muscular body. Brown hair, mustache, and an evil grin. The man looked back at him. He had a green jacket over a half-unbuttoned white shirt and his arms were metallic, showing that Stylish probably experimented on him.

But what caught Naruto's eyes...

"Hello there, young man."

...was the Teigu he carried on his back.

"I'm Kaku. I was told that I'm supposed to fight an armored mister. The user of Incursio, if I recall it right." Kaku reached behind and grabbed his Teigu. "But as I see, you are not wearing any armor. In that case, I'm willing to wait for you to use your Teigu and don the armor, so do it quickly."

"..." Naruto remained silent as his eyes stared at the Teigu what the man in front of him had in his hands. "That Teigu..." He mumbled.

"Oh, this one? Fantastic, isn't it? The ability to cut anything, Extase. The Teigu of the joyful me." He laughed as he pointed it at Naruto.

"You have 10 seconds to drop that Teigu..." Naruto glared at him as he tightened his grip on the katana. To see Sheele's Teigu in the hands of a guy like that, it disgusted him.

"Hmm? How about you give me some praise for wielding one of your fallen comrades' weapon?" The grin never left Kaku's face as he said those words.

"...I'll give you death instead!" The ground below Naruto's feet cracked as he kicked himself off the ground and rocketed forward.

"Angry, are we?" Kaku aimed Extase at Naruto's head and stabbed with the Teigu.

Naruto leaned to the side and let the scissors' blade pass next to his head. He placed his left hand against the ground and pushed himself forward before jumping above the enemy.

"Hn!" Kaku brought up his free hand to cover his face as he braced himself.

***Clank!***

"Wha-?!" Naruto's katana bounced back from the enemy's arm like the weapon just hit a wall made out of metal. Maybe the reason why it haven't broken to pieces was because the blade itself was made with special care. Though his right arm still received the force of the impact.

Before he could react, Naruto was blown away when Kaku smacked him with his free arm. The blond rolled on the ground a couple times before he finally stopped.

He coughed up blood as he stood up. His legs were shaking as he could still feel the pain from the previous punch.

"I see, so you are not the one with the armor Teigu. I thought that you-"

"Give it back..." Nartuo mumbled as his hair covered his eyes.

"Hm?"

"...I said give that Teigu back..."

"Hah! Can't you get your priorities straigth first? You are not in any position to demand something like that from me." He laughed at his demand.

Naruto straightened up as he looked at Kaku with narrowed eyes without answering his question.

***Tap***

Naruto stepped forward and walked up to him slowly as if he wasn't even on the battlefield. A bright light shined inside his jacket's pocket again, forcing Kaku to raise an eyebrow.

"You cut the flesh..." Kaku opened the giant scissors and pushed it forward to cut the assassin in front of him in half. "I break the bone!" He yelled as closed Extase.

...

"What?!" He looked surprised when Naruto stepped back to avoid the powerful attack. "You were between the blades a moment ago!"

The blond simply walked around the Teigu and moved up to Kaku, placing his left hand on Extase's handle as the light coming out of his clothes became brighter.

"You brat!" Kaku pulled back his left arm just like last time and prepared to blow Naruto away.

But his arm refused to move.

"I can't move my...?!" He looked to his left arm in shock before his eyes went back to Naruto who still gripped Extase hard.

"You fell for it..." Naruto stated in a calm and expressionless tone.

***Slash***

He brough up his katana and cut deep into Kaku's left eye who soon used his strength to jump back, gritting his teeth in pain.

"Gaah... my eye..."

***Zzsshh***

The user of Extase forgot that his arm was still caught in something and lost his balance when he was unable to jump away.

This one moment was enough for Naruto to dash forward and cut his other eye too. Blood spilled from the enemy's eyes as he screamed in pain and slashed aimlessly with Extase in fury.

"You... You... You! I'll kill you! I'll murder you!" Now that he was blind, all the Naruto had to do was to stay back.

"You fell for my trap when I attacked you out of sheer anger. You must have thought that it was funny to play around with me, considering that you couldn't even feel when my string wrapped around your left arm when you punched me." Naruto used the string inside his belt what he received from Lubbock not too long ago. He cut the string from his belt and threw the other end of it towards a nearby tree when he rolled on the ground.

"Where are you, you little shit?! I'll cut you up!" Kaku continued to yell and slash empty air.

"You surprised me when your skin deflected my weapon, but no matter what, you can't reinforce your eyes. It was easy to find your weakpoint." Naruto avoided getting cut in half and jumped back.

"There you are!" Kaku followed Naruto's voice, cut the string off from his arm and attacked him without a moment of stopping.

***Boom!***

A gun was fired from the distance and a laser beam severed Kaku's right arm. Since he was unable to see, he didn't know when to reinforce his skin to defend against the attack.

"Ahh..." Blood bursted out of his severed arm.

***Thunk***

Extase was released from his right hand and fell down in front of Naruto into the ground.

"Thanks, Mine." The blond smiled as he looked to the side seeing Mine, still in her pajamas but with her Teigu in her hands. She glared at Kaku, probably because he used Sheele's Teigu.

A gentle breeze swept through the area.

"Killing you with my katana would be impossible..." Naruto started as he sheated his weapon and reached forward with his now empty right hand. "...So I might as well use this instead." He pulled Extase out of the ground.

***BZZZZZ***

"Guh..." Electricity ran through the muscles inside his arm as he opened Extase and positioned the blades around Kaku. It was painful to hold the Teigu probably because he is not compatible with it. But one simple attack would still be possible.

"W-Wait... Just wait a-" Kaku asked for mercy.

"I'm sorry..." Naruto remembered what Sheele used to say when she finished off her opponents and decided to say the same when he closed the scissors and cut Kaku in half.

The battle was over.

"Mine..." Naruto whispered as he saw his teammate staring at the Teigu he had in his hands. He moved up to Mine and gave her the Teigu.

"Welcome back... Sheele..." Tears rolled down from her eyes as she hugged Extase close to her chest.

* * *

**Elsewhere.**

* * *

"Kaku has lost." The girl with large ears reported to Stylish as she listened carefully. "We've also lost most of our foot soldiers."

"Oh my, this was a huge miscalculation..." Stylish sighed as he lowered his head from the frustration of losing his soldiers. They've died way too fast for his liking. "It can't be helped. Once it's come this far..."

"The sky!" The girl shouted, getting Stylish's attention. "Something is getting closer!"

"Eh? What do you mean by..." The Jäger was cut off when a danger beast flew past above him. "Special grade danger beast, Air Manta...?!" He exclaimed.

"Someone is riding on it!" Another of Stylish's soldier, one with large eyes, informed him. "Sh... She is!"

* * *

**Back with Naruto and Mine.**

* * *

"That's...?!" Naruto stared at the danger beast up in the sky as he stabbed Extase, what Mine previously gave back to him, into the ground. "What kind of danger beast is that...?"

"An Air Manta." Mine answered him as she brough up her Teigu. "It's common for humans to tame them and use for transportation." She aimed Pumpkin at the danger beast and used its scope to zoom in. "There are three person standing on it! More enemies?!" Mine soon shook her head. "Wait a second..."

"It's the boss, right?" Naruto cut her off as he said with a small smile.

"Y-Yeah... but how did you know?"

"It was just a lucky guess. It's so much like her to arrive on something like that." Naruto looked down with a sad expression at the sight of the danger beast. "Tatsumi would have loved to ride on that Air Manta..."

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing..." Naruto shook his head with his eyes closed. "You said that there are three people on top, who are the other two?" He asked.

"Good question. The hood of their coat covers their face... Well, I wouldn't be able to recognize them anyway. They must be reinforcements!" Mine sighed in relief as she watched Najenda on the Air Manta.

"New members?" Naruto was so lost in his own world, thinking about what Najenda said before leaving, that he was unable to detect the presence sneaking up behind Mine. His mind was focused on the conversation when his boss said something about asking for new members.

As the approaching presence got closer and closer to the pink-haired girl, the way the wind moved was slightly altered. That was the point when Naruto looked to the side to check up on Mine.

There, he saw the exact same guy who hurt Leone back at the pool... Trooma, was the name of the guy. The man raised a hidden knife, preparing to stab the girl in the back.

Naruto opened his mouth as he grabbed his katana.

"Mine! Behind y-!"

***Bamm***

Before Naruto could reach her, a yellow blur flashed behind Trooma as he was kicked away.

"You've done it now... you bastaaaaard!" It was Leone who kicked him in the face.

"L-Leone?!" Naruto shouted, surprised to see her. He felt relieved that she was alright though he felt bad for not putting his trust into her. It confused him why he was even worried.

After receiving her kick, Trooma was held up by his neck.

"You know... I like doing surprise attack, but I haaaaaate being victim of them!" Leone said furiously as she tightened her grip around Trooma's neck who couldn't breath anymore. "It looks like you've been pretty strengthened up, but don't think that you'll die easy because of that." She glared at him.

Meanwhile, Mine placed a hand on her face as Naruto sweatdropped.

"Kehih!" A hidden blade came out of Trooma's right shoe as he brought up his leg and moved it so that the blade could stab into her neck.

***Bite***

Leone simply tilted her head and bit the blade before shattering it into pieces using her teeth.

"She... blocked it like this befo-" Trooma had no time to finish as his neck was snapped and he was smashed into the ground, dead. Leone blocked his knife back at the pool the same way like just now.

"...Fuuuu. The blow I took from the surprise attack was pretty effective." She dusted herself off while looking down at the fallen figure of the enemy. "Ah, whoops. I beat him in one hit." Leone looked down and she saw that he was dead.

"At least don't look so surprised that he is dead when you broke his neck..." Naruto sweardropped as he said it from the sideline.

"Oh! Naruto, I heard you shout my name when I fell into the pool! Never thought that you care about me this much~ It was so romantic!" Leone grinned when she saw Nartuo blush bright red. "You might as well deserve a hug~"

"Ahhh! The devil's mountains of temptation!" Naruto yelled as he slipped away before Leone could grab him and squeeze his head against her breasts. "Someone deliver me from evil!" He ran behind Mine who smashed Pumpkin into his stomach out of frustration.

"He got away..." Leone admitted defeat.

The remaining members soon approached them as well.

"You are all safe!" Akame looked happy when she saw the three without any serious injury. Lubbock also walked next to her with his hands inside the pockets of his green jacket.

"Ah, Mine is pajamas!" The green-haired teen said with a perverted smile.

"With this, everyone's here!" Mine fortunately missed this.

After the members successfully regrouped, Akame suddenly looked behind her, seeing that the rest of the enemy soldiers were approaching their position, fast.

They looked like the last wave of Stylish's attacks.

"I thought we took down Stylish's soldiers by now..." Naruto placed a hand on his katana.

"Stylish, you mean that crazy doctor you were talking about?" Leone too took a stance. Since Naruto already fought against his soldiers, it wasn't that hard to detect that they were the mad scientist's minions.

"With these guys, that's it for whoever's setting the strings off." Lubbock said as he checked Cross Tail's strings to see how many enemies remained.

"And there's no scent of anyone else nearby." The user of Lionelle added as she couldn't smell anymore of them.

_'Does this mean that Stylish came here by himself?'_ Naruto thought. _'Then we can win this!'_

All of a sudden, the Night Raid members lost all their strength as they fell down on the ground with the exception of Naruto.

"Wha..." The blond looked back to see that they couldn't get back up. "What's going on guys?!" He crouched down to the nearest person who happened to be Akame and checked if she was awake. Fortunately, she looked fine..

"S... Suddenly, my body... won't move." Mine brought her head up but that was as much as she could do.

"Poi...son..." Akame muttered as she finally regained the strength to get up along with Leone. They were panting heavily but still looked capable to fight.

"Poison?! But why am I not affected?!" Naruto asked as the enemies closed in on them.

"No time to think... let's leave that for later..." Leone watched as the number of the soldiers behind them was the same.

_'Kuh...!'_ Naruto watched as Leone and Akame were struggling to stay on their feet. He looked at his right hand what was still slightly numb from using Extase. He shifted his gaze back to the enemy._ 'Shit, I won't be able to defend the others and defeat the enemy fast enough with my katana. If they block my attacks, I'll lose more time.'_

A weapon however was already stabbed into the ground in front of him. A weapon that can cut through anything without stopping.

"I don't know how much my body can take..." He took a step forward and reached out with his right arm. "But I take my chances..."

***Fwumm***

"Leone-chan, Akame, take care of the other side."

He pulled Extase out of the ground and moved to the front.

"Naruto..." They looked at him with worried eyes as they saw him struggle with holding up the Teigu. They immediately knew that he was not compatible enough to use it without damaging himself.

_'Sorry Sheele. It seems that I have to borrow Extase for a while.'_ He thought as he glared at the enemies in front of him and shifted the Teigu into a defensive stance.

A purple aura surrounded him, most likely from the influence of Extase.

"Now, bring it on!"

* * *

**Chapter 12: END  
Thank you for reading!**

* * *

**In Chapter 13: Kill the Mad Scientist (Part 2)**

**xXxXxXx**

"A human Teigu?!"

**xXxXxXx**

"Here it isssss!"

**xXxXxXx**

"So this is my Teigu's true ability..."

**xXxXxXx**

"Now I know the reason why the Prime Minister wanted me."

**xXxXxXx**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Gleam Of A Cold Knife**

**WARNING:**  
**~~*Grammar Mistakes*~~ ~~*(Probably...)OOC Main Protagonist*~~ and ~~*Slow Progress*~~**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Kill the Mad Scientist (Part 2)**  
**Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Outside.**

* * *

"Now, bring it on!" Said Naruto as he took a step forward to face the remaining enemies.

The Teigu in his hands, Extase, sent a powerful pulse through his arm and straight into his heart. It felt like hot lava surged through his veins, melting his body away. The pain increased the more he held onto the Teigu.

_'With Extase, I can cut through them without a problem and end this quickly.'_ He thought.

But what about his arm? Can it hold on until the end of the fight or will the scissors destroy it before he could finish?

"Huh..." A blue light came out of the pocket of Naruto's blue jacket. This was the third time now. He reached inside with his left hand and grabbed the glowing object. It was his pocket watch, the Teigu he couldn't use. The watch is reacting to something, but what?

But no one can use two Teigu at the same time. Now that he has Extase, there is no need for the pocket watch.

Naruto had no time to think further as the soldiers before him quickly cornered the group of assassins. Lubbock and Mine were on the ground, so they couldn't fight anymore. Akame was barely standing while Leone was breathing heavily.

"Come!" Naruto screamed as he threw himself in front of the enemies, preparing to deal the first blow and slash through at least three of them in one go.

***Crash!***

But before he could attack, something crashed into the ground between him and the enhanced people. Something resembling a human.

Everyone looked toward the dust cloud what the impact created but as soon as it disappeared, their eyes opened wide.

A tall man with blue hair and horns coming out of the sides of his head stepped out of the crater. He wore a white robe and had a stave-like weapon in his hands.

"Don't tell me... another enemy...?" Naruto whispered but soon threw away what he previously said as he saw the newcomer's eyes.

The man was staring at the enemy, not them. Did this mean that he was friendly? Naruto was sure about one thing...

...that this person was much, much stronger than him.

"An ally... right?" Leone said it out loud.

The rest of the group just stared in silence.

"Now!" A loud yell came from above. "Exterminate the enemies before you!" It was Najenda standing on top of the Air Manta. "Susanoo!"

Hearing her order, the aura around the man with blue hair immediately changed as he narrowed his eyes.

"Understood." Came his short reply.

The man brought up his weapon as blades came out of its end and used it to pierce his way through the horde of soldiers. From time to time, he punched behind him without even looking to take out those who decided to sneak up to him. In a flash, he literally destroyed everyone on the battlefield.

"I-Is this for real...?" Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. While he did a good job at defeating Stylish's minions, this man just erased them like it was nothing. "He makes it look so easy..." He sweatdropped.

The enemies fell like they were nothing but simple dolls waiting to be destroyed. The difference between their power was too big, they didn't stand a chance.

"Who is he...?" Naruto mumbled. "He can block attacks without even seeing where they are coming from..."

But despite the man's overwhelming strength, the soldiers just kept coming at him like their death wouldn't even matter. It almost ooked like they were suicidal.

"Wait..." Naruto realized something. The soldiers' goal was to get near him.

A moment later, both the alive and dead minions of Stylish glowed bright yellow.

They were going to explode!

"Look out!" Naruto shouted.

***Booooom!***

It was too late, the man who arrived only a couple minutes ago was engulfed in the flames what the explosion caused. The smell of rotten meat spread around the area as everything burned beyond recognition.

When the flames died down, the members of Night Raid saw that the newcomer somehow survived but he no longer had his arms and a great amount of his face was missing.

"Ah..." Naruto just stared at him with his mouth open. That was it. The man died just as fast as he arrived. To think that someone that strong could die in a-

***Fsssshhhh***

"?!" Akame brough up her head as she saw that the injuries the man's received were healing in an accelerated pace.

"Is this..." Mine spoke up from the ground. "Perhaps...!" The insane regeneration the man just demostrated, the girl was far too familiar with it. Koro, Seryu's Teigu was just like this when she and Sheele fought against it.

""A Biological Teigu!"" Both Mine and Naruto said it at the same time. Naruto too knew about Koro and saw his regeneration skill.

The humanoid Teigu, after he healed completely, looked back to the two who were right about what he really is. He had a strange or rather frustrated look as he stepped up to Naruto. Bringing his free hand up, he dusted off his blue jacket and moved away.

"Alright!" Said the man.

"Eh...?" Naruto just stood there, dumbstruck.

The next person on the Teigu's list was Mine. He kneeled down in front of the wary girl and straightened her hair, repeating the same_ 'alright'_ he said to Naruto.

A moment later, the Air Manta danger beast flew across the battlefield and blew away the trees and bushes from a certain area not far from them. The signal was obvious. That's the spot where Stylish is hiding.

Susanoo acted without hesitation and headed to the area in question.

Naruto looked back, seeing that Leone already picked up Lubbock and Mine. He moved up to Akame and picked her up, carrying the girl on his back while still holding Extase with his now numb right arm.

"Are you alright, Akame? I can bring you back to the hideout and get an antidote or something for the poison."

"I'm okay. It's not lethal." Akame shook her head with a small smile. "It only paralyzed me."

* * *

**With Stylish.**

* * *

_'...Poison won't work against a biological type!'_ Thought Stylish as he ran as fast as he could to get away from Susanoo. _'I need to either destroy the core or do something about the user...'_ He and his three remaining followers came to a halt as the humanoid Teigu stood in their way.

"We've been spotted!" Came the loud shout from the girl with huge ears.

"It seems they won't let us run no matter what..." He let out a deep breath, accepting the fact that there is nowhere to run._ 'The enemy is a human Teigu, not affected by my speciality of poison. This is just unfair!'_

A huge grin then formed on his face.

"When it comes to this..." He grabbed a syringe from his pocket. "...prepare yourself for the worst!" He yelled as he injected the liquid inside the syringe into his body. "Trump Card Number 2, Danger Beast, one dose!" The veins on his body popped out as the serum started to affect his body.

First his arms, then his lower body, everything except his head turned oversized and demonic. He now looked excatly like a danger beast.

"Here it isssss!" Yelled Stylish. "By becoming a danger beast myself! I'll blow all of you away!" He reached down to his remaining three soldiers and grabbed them. "You are my precious nutrients! Let us become one!"

He devoured his own comrades in order to increase his power.

* * *

**Back with Naruto and Akame.**

* * *

"What the hell?!" Naruto stopped as he saw Susanoo getting smashed away by the huge danger beast. "He turned himself into a monster?!" The blond had to close his eyes as the shockwave from the previous punch hit him. "Shit, that guy who came to our rescue must need some help..."

Akame gripped his jacket hard.

"Naruto... if you can move, bring me with you." She said weakly. Murasame could easily one-hit-kill Stylish if Naruto can threw her perfectly. But there was one problem.

He no longer had enough strength in his right arm to do anything drastic. Extase nearly took all of it just by holding the weapon.

"Sorry..." Naruto said apologetically as he placed Akame down on the ground. "I can barely even carry you now... I don't think I can throw you at him."

For some reason, Seryu appeared inside Naruto's mind as he thought about killing Stylish. The girl lost her parents, teacher, him, and now she will lose the doctor too. He didn't want Akame to kill him...

...Naruto wanted to end Stylish's life himself.

"Naruto... your arm..." Akame muttered as she saw that the blond's right arm twitched furiously.

"I'm fine." He smiled, placing his left hand on the arm in question. "Extase can cut through the danger beast's skin. I think I can deal one decent blow without giving up my arm."

"That's too reckless! Even for you!" Before Akame could argue, Naruto turned away.

"Two..." Naruto whispered.

"?" Akame looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Let me act reckless two more times. After those, I will do as you command no matter what." He flashed her his signature smile. "Trust me on this one, Akame."

"Two, you say?"

"...I have to do this..." He closed his eyes and opened his mouth again. "Seryu..." The blond then shook his head and left Akame behind.

"Naruto!" The girl shouted after him but Naruto refused to stop. She watched silently as he disappeared from her sight.

* * *

**With Stylish and Susanoo.**

* * *

"I'll have you tooooo!" Stylish yelled as he reached down to grab the humanoid Teigu to gain more strength. Susanoo managed to avoid it in the last second and used his weapon to stop an incoming punch.

"It's tough." He was unable to stop the attack and got blown away again.

"Hahaha, what's wrong, biological Teigu?" Susanoo avoid three other attacks. "Feel free to take the offense more!" Another punch was aimed at him.

It wasn't much a of problem to avoid the attacks, the real problem was getting closer to Stylish.

"Let me squish you!"

Susanoo had no opening for counterattacks.

"Haaaaaaa!"

Stylish stopped as he looked above him, seeing blury figure up in the sky.

"Ohhh! You are finally here, Naruto-kun!" The Jäger couldn't hide his excitement.

"You are finished!" Naruto brought back Extase in mid-air and prepared a powerful slashing attack to cut off Stylish's upper body.

"Then come and show me what you can do!" The danger beast raised an arm and moved it in front of the incoming Naruto.

"I'll cut throu-"

***Clank***

"H-Huh...?"

Instead of chopping off the arm, Extase got stuck right after the blade cut through the first layer of the skin. Nothing could stop Stylish now to punch the blond like he was an annoying insect.

"Guahhh!" Before Naruto reached the ground, Susanoo grabbed him and dropped him down before dashing away to distract Stylish and give the him some to recover.

***Cough* *Cough***

"W-Why..." Naruto grit his teeth and punched the ground as he kneeled in the dirt. "Why do I fuck up every single time?!" Extase is supposed to cut through anything. Then does this mean that the rate of his low compatibility decreased the Teigu's attributes?

Against Zank... Against the Three Beast... Against Run... The best he could do was to prolong the inevitable.

He watched as Susanoo tried to attack but with no luck. The freshly transformed Stylish was too tough.

"Dammit..."

***Tic***

***Tac***

***Tic***

***Tac***

"?!" A blue light shined through his jacket's pocket. Naruto reached up to grab whatever was inside and pulled it out. It was his pocket watch. He left it inside his jacket when he got back, thinking that the Teigu was useless. But now, he heard the ticking sound of the watch.

It's working again.

Taking a closer look, he saw that the glowing light gathered into once spot and emitted some kind of energy particles.

A crashing sound came from Naruto's left as Susanoo jumped back.

"Is that..." Stylish spotted the glowing pocket watch in Naruto's hand and smiled. "So it's finally happening!" The doctor blocked an attack from Susanoo and pushed him away. "Don't interfere!"

Naruto glanced to the side to look at Stylish.

"That's it! Use it!" The Jäger shouted back with a grin.

_'Don't you think that's a little too suspicious? Still, I'm out of options...'_

Even if it will most likely be a trap, he had no other choice.

Extase was stabbed into the ground in front of the blond. His arm was too weak to pull it out again. It could only hold his light pocket watch. Shifting the Teigu from his left hand to his right, Naruto pushed the button at the top...

***Click***

* * *

And right after that, everything stopped. Not because time itself stopped, but because nobody dared to move.

A brighter light escaped from the pocket watch as it sank into Naruto right hand.

When he came to it, he was standing in a pure white room with nothing inside.

"..." He remained silent with a surprised look on his face. A strange noise could be heard as he stood up and looked around the room. It had no doors, no windows, nothing. Everything was white. Where is the end of the room? How far are the walls? He didn't even bother to think about those.

No matter which direction he turned, it all looked the same.

"What's..."

***Tic***

***Tac***

His Teigu...

He heard it ticking inside the room. But where, he didn't know.

"My arm...?" Naruto looked down to his right arm where the pocket watch previously sank into. The noise was coming from inside his hand. "What's this...?"

***Thunk***

Something landed in front of him.

A weapon. No, not just a weapon, a Teigu.

It was Extase.

**[V]**

"What am I... supposed to..."

**[IV]**

Visions of an unrecognizable person using the scissors Teigu appeared in front of him.

**[III]**

Techniques, tricks, stances...

**[II]**

Balance, ability...

**[I]**

Trump Card...

Everything has been shown to him in that very five seconds.

* * *

Naruto looked forward with hollow eyes and stood up.

"Yes, finally!" Stylish laughed as he saw the night raider walking as if he was possessed.

Naruto reached forward and grabbed the handle of Extase tightly and pulled it out of the ground without a problem. While pointing it up to the sky, he glared at Stylish with his blue eyes.

"H-Huh... What is this?!" Naruto came back to his senses and took a step back when he saw himself holding Extase again.

"Now, show me the result of all the experiments, Naruto-kun! I'll capture you alive!" The danger beast moved up to him in a matter of seconds and sharp needles were shot out of the monster's chest, aiming to hit Naruto.

"A-Ahhh!" In panic and not knowing what to do, the blond brought up the Teigu in his possession. To his surprise, he positioned the blade just right to deflect the needles targeting his head while the rest simply missed him.

As the huge needles hit the ground behind him, he looked back to see the freshly created craters. No doubt that they were supposed to knock him out.

"Not yet!" The doctor's yell made him look back.

"Huh?!" The danger beast was about to grab him as a last resort. "Haaaa!" Naruto brought up Extase as he ran forward and cut the hand that was coming for him in half.

"What?!"

Blood splattered all around the area as Naruto jumped up on the arm and ran forward to reach Stylish.

Just when the Jäger was about to use his other arm to slap the _insect_ away, Susanoo used the moment to stop the arm and Mine fired a laser beam from the Air Manta she previously moved onto to push it back.

Other needles were shot out but Naruto easily jumped out of their way.

"So it was a success after all! Thanks to the pocket watch, you can really wield a Teigu even though your not compatible with it!" Stylish yelled, excited as Naruto closed in. "It really is workin-" However, because of his excitement he forgot about the incoming threat.

***Splash***

He was unable to finish when Naruto used Extase to cut his upper-body off.

"Shame... I... still wanted to do... all kinds of human experiments..." He landed next to the blond.

The body of the danger beast fell down behind them now that no one controlled it.

"You were there..." Naruto whispered, looking down to the ground. "You are the one who experimented on me, on us... aren't you?"

"So... you figured... it out." The man had trouble speaking from the blood coming out of his mouth. "Who knew that one of them actually survived... No, not survived. I'm a hundred percent sure that all of you died... Hahahaha..."

_'He is not making any sense.'_

"Tell me why? What does the Prime Minister want to achieve? What does he want from me..." He placed a hand on his chest. "...from this?"

"That pocket watch... is truly the Teigu of the Cheater." He couldn't cough the blood up anymore, so the red liquid simply leaked out of his mouth.

"Answer my ques-" Naruto stopped as he saw the state Stylish was in. "He must have already lost the abilities to see and hear..." He muttered to himself.

"To activate one Teigu in order to use another... it's almost like using two Teigu at the same time." Using two Teigu at the same time will end in a disaster and the user's body will be slowly destroyed. Even the strongests of people can only use one.

"Two Teigu..."

"Hahaha... now you can finally use _**'it'**_ when you return to the Palace... I wanted... to do... more experiments..." The time for Stylish was almost up. "Now that you can use it, the Prime Minister will do anything... to track and capture you... There is nowhere to run from Syura..."

And with those final words, Dr. Stylish passed on.

_'Syura? Who the hell...? It can't be the Prime Minister, Boss told me that his name is Honest...'_

A blue light surrounded Naruto's right hand as his pocket watch dropped out from it. He caught the Teigu and stared at it.

"Draw out... inside me...? Does this mean that the power I used back in the Palace was actually my Shingu and not this thing?" He soon dropped down to his knees and let Extase go when the painful feeling returned to his right arm.

***Tap* *Tap***

He heard footsteps and saw Susanoo walking up to him. Moving his hand like a robot, he reached down to the blond to pull him up.

"Are you alright?" The humanoid Teigu asked.

"Yeah." Naruto accepted his hand and stood up. "Thanks for catching me back there! I'm Naruto!"

"Susanoo. No problem." He answered simply.

"Umm..." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "So..."

"There they are!" Leone's voice reached the blond's ears as he saw her walking in front of the others and waving with her hand.

Not far from them, the Air Manta landed and Najenda jumped down along with a person whose face was still covered. Mine was also on the Air Manta to assist him and Susanoo with her Teigu. They must have picked her up after he left.

"Huh?" A question mark appeared above Naruto's head as he saw Mine glaring at the newcomer whose face was still covered by a hood. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this..."

***Boink!***

Before Naruto could think any further, someone from behind smacked him on the head. It was a light chop, but he was too exhausted to stay on his feet and fell to the ground.

"Gah!" He grabbed the huge lump what came out of his head. "Why do I always have to get-" He angrily turned around but soon stopped as he saw his red-eyed teammate glaring at him like she is about to murder him. The fact that the wind pushed her hair all around her head didn't help. "A-Akame?" The blond whispered.

"That for being reckless." Soon, her murderous aura disappeared and she puffed out her cheeks. "I hope you were serious about listening to everything I say after your second stunt."

"Of- Of course-"

***Boink!***

Another chop arrived straight to the top of his head but this time it wasn't light at all and he got pummeled into the ground.

"Gu... Guahh...ah..." Naruto spit the rocks out that accidently got into his mouth and turned around again, this time... he too released a murderous aura. "That's it! Time for some payback, Leone-"

"Huh? I don't think I appricite your tone, Naruto." It wasn't Leone who hit him, it was Najenda. Since she hit him with her metallic arm, it added some bonus to the second lump what appeared on Naruto's head.

"B-Bo-Boss...!" He thought that Leone hit him, so he yelled back... It was the second biggest mistake of his life. "Y-You are back!"

"Yes." With a dangerously evil smirk, Najenda answered. "What's this I hear about you joining the Jägers?" She made fist with her prosthetic arm.

"No, no! That's not how it happened! I only-" He froze as he saw his boss getting only angrier. _'Shit, she will hit me again for sure!'_

There was no escape.

"Can I join in too?" A voice came from Naruto's right side that fortunately saved him from getting smacked again. It was the second new member who stayed on the Air Manta during the fight. Seeing the person's figure, the blond figured that she is a girl. The second new member grabbed the hood what was covering her face and pushed it back, revealing her face.

"..." He stared at the girl with wide eyes as the sun started to rise up in front of him on the horizon and shined through the woods.

* * *

**Two Hours Later.**  
**Former Night Raid Headquarters.**  
**Outside.**

* * *

Two hours have passed since the end of the fight and Naruto was now in front of two familiar graves, thinking about how to say goodbye.

"Sorry, Sayo-chan, Ieyasu. It seems I won't be able to come here anymore." Naruto sat in front of his firends' graves and stared at the now bright blue sky with a sad smile. "The enemy discovered the location of our base, so we have no other choice but to move. We have to stay low for at least a month until the Revolutionary Army makes another base for us."

He looked down.

"And it seems, I won't be able to go after Tatsumi during this time... He will be on his on." Naruto grit his teeth as he stood up and placed his hands on each cross with his friends name on it. "We have to destroy everything to leave no traces behind..." After a moment of silence...

...he pulled both crosses out.

"Sorry... I will make a memorial for you two at our new base." He turned around without saying anything else and walked up to a fire what was made so that the members could destroy all evidences.

With a heavy sigh, he threw both crosses into the fire. "I will most likely go to Hell for this..."

"But it's better this way. We can't take any chances and can't leave any information behind. Your village might be in danger." Akame arrived next to him as she threw two huge bags into the fire.

"Yeah... Heaven is not my kind of place anyway." He turned around and left the area.

After wandering around for half an hour, he decided to remember all the things that happened inside the base. When Night Raid dropped him and Tatsumi here. When they threw a huge party after the two joined. When they laughed and joked around day and night while completing requests.

When he understood that none of them are immortal no matter what. Sheele's death...

When Tatsumi brought him back half-dead after the mission on the Ryuusen. Bulat's death...

Naruto took a quick glance to the small bag he decided to bring over to the new base. Though most of them were Tatsumi's belongings, he doesn't really have too many important things.

"Got everything?" Najenda walked up to him.

"Yeah, here is everything." He brought up the small bag. "I threw the rest into the fire."

"I'll put it on the Air Manta." Naruto gave the bag to Najenda. "We decided to blow up the whole base once we are up on the danger beast. The noise will most likely alert the enemy nearby, but it will destroy everything the fire couldn't."

After a final nod, Najenda left the area, leaving Naruto behind. He watched as she gave the order and helped Lubbock placing all the bombs around the base.

Ten minutes later, it was time to finally leave the base behind. They will destroy everything they can't bring with them.

Making his way to the Air Manta, Naruto saw that he is the last one to arrive. He raised his right arm to grab onto the danger beast...

"Huh?"

...until he felt no strength in his hand.

_'Of course...' _He remembered that before using his Teigu, Extase pretty much made his right arm useless thanks to him being incompatible with the Teigu.

Naruto switched hands and now raised his left one only to see someone reached down to him.

"Need a hand?" Came the voice of someone he only just met.

"Chelsea?" He muttered.

Chelsea. The second new member of Night Raid. She has pale skin, auburn hair, and red eyes. Wearing butterfly headphone accessory on her head along with heaving a lollipop in her mouth, her appearance was quite unique. Naruto doesn't know much about her abilites yet, but her personality is... strange. It is mischievous and blunt.

It take only a few minutes to Naruto to see that Chelsea became Mine's new arch-rival.

"What are you spacing out for? Come on!" With a smile, Chelsea urged him to take her hand and jump on the Air Manta.

"Y-Yeah, thanks." Naruto accepted it and stepped onto the danger beast.

"Alright, everyone is here. Let's get our of here!" Right after Najenda said these words, the Air Manta automatically pushed itself off from the ground and flew up into the sky. "Now then..." The leader of the assassins brought up a remote control for the bombs and pushed the red button on the top.

Looking back for the last time, Naruto watched with emotionless eyes.

***Boooom!***

And the base blew up with flames soon covering the whole place.

"Don't look so depressed, Naruto!" Leone placed a hand on his shoulder as she smiled. "Isn't riding on this thing awesome? Come on, cheer up!"

"I..." Naruto whispered. Leone's words didn't help him at all.

"Hm?" Akame, who sat next to Leone looked at him.

"I think I'm gonna throw up..." Naruto's face turned dark green as he placed a hand on his mouth to cover it.

"Eh?!" The blonde woman quickly brought back her hand from his shoulder. "You are joking, right? After all those stunts you pulled off up until now, riding on danger beasts can't be your weakness!"

"Ghhhhh..." Naruto couldn't answer as he was too focused to keep his dinner inside of him.

"Haha! Then you can join those two if you want to feel a little bit better." Chelsea pointed behind her and Naruto saw that Mine and Lubbock was in the same state as him.

This didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

**Six Hours Later.**  
**800 km South-East From The Capital.**  
**Margue Plateau.**

* * *

***Cough* *Cough***

Naruto wiped his salvia off from his lips while leaning against a tree with one hand and keeping the other on his stomach.

"And to think I have to ride on that thing on the way back..." He mumbled with a painful and tired look as he nearly fell face forward to the ground.

After six long hours on a full-speed Air Manta, the blond thought that he was going to die. Wherever they landed, the area looked like no person have ever touched it. Only animals and danger beasts. It sort of made sense, he saw quite powerful ones on the way here so no wonder the imperials decided not to go here.

"Alright, I'm back..." He announced with a sigh as he returned to the others.

"Everyone, this is the Margue Plateau. Dotted by tens of sharp mountains, a unique ecosystem has been formed. With high-level danger beasts in the area, it isn't suitable for humans to live here..." Najenda said with her backpack on her back as she searched the area. "Because it's unexplored, it is perfect for hiding. Currently, in order to find us a fitting place for a new base, the Revolutionary Army's reconaissance team is searching around the Capital. Until then, we will level up here. "

_'Well, it's fine by me, but where will we sleep? I'm too tired to make a tent...' _After emptying his stomach, Naruto had no strength left.

While he was deep in thought, the Air Manta left with all the Teigus they have had.

"Huh? It left, is that okay?" Mine asked as she watched the danger beast leaving the area. "We left all the Teigus on it."

"It probably departed for the Revolutionary Army's Headquarters, where its nest is. It also becomes an automatic delivery that way." Chelsea answered as she smiled at Mine while covering her mouth to hide her giggle. "Mine, you don't even know that? Ahahaha!"

Steam escaped from Mine's ears from the anger.

_'Chelsea is already pissing her off...'_ With a sweatdrop, Lubbock and Naruto thought at the same time.

"Well, not like I'm going to miss it or anything..." Naruto crossed his arms.

"Oh? But you looked just fine in the last two hours..." Leone said, giving him a surprised look.

"Sure..." The blond just rolled his eyes to the side.

Walking a couple meters to a small clearing, Najenda turned around to face the members.

"Now, once again, I'll introduce the new members. First up is-" She pointed at Chelsea but she was nowhere to be found.

The others looked around and soon found her behind Akame.

"Akame-chan, now that I take a close look at you, you are really cute~!" She caressed her hair.

"W-What are you doing out of nowhere?"

"I'm Chelsea! Let's all be friends, as fellow killers." She reached into her pockets and pulled out a lollipop. "Here, I'll give you this."

Stars appeared in Akame's eyes as she gladly accepted it. "I welcome you with open arms." She said.

Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't help but stare at Chelsea with calculative eyes as if he wasn't sure wether she should be here or not. Just like with Mine, Chelsea didn't look like an assassin. But he experienced something like this before, he won't fall for it again.

"Boss." Upon hearing him, Najenda looked to her left. "She is a professional, isn't she?"

"Oh, you surprised me, Naruto. I didn't think you would knew that already." She was surprised at his serious look.

"Well, it's not like I knew it or anything. Hell, it was just a guess... but at the same time, you can say that a week after I returned to the Capital, I learned that looks can be deceiving." He shrugged with his shoulders. Aria is the proof for that.

"Hm. I see that you learned quite a few things while I was away. Is it because of staying near Esdeath?"

"Yeah..." He gripped his right arm hard. "I was so scared that I couldn't help but think about escape routes, possible future conversations where my identity might be discovered, and soldiers coming for my neck all the time. Though in the end, Run still tricked me into revealing myself."

And Tatsumi is still with them for who knows how long.

"Don't worry. He can take care of himself." Najenda placed her hand on his shoulder. "We will discuss this matter at dinner, but for now..." She looked away and walked in front of the others again. "Next, this is my new Teigu which I received from the Revolutionary Army as a loan." She pointed at Susanoo. "Speed of Lightning, Susanoo."

Since his appearance is nothing like Koro's, a possible surprise attack could turn the tables to their favor considering how fast Susanoo regenerates. He could cover them as an act of self-sacrafice and then use the enemies moment of victory to his advantage to defeat them.

"Because he is an organism type that moves on his own, there is little to no burden on the user... Even my current self can use it." She said as everyone's gaze fell onto the human Teigu.

Naruto was about to say something to him but he was ultimately stopped by Susanoo as he pointed a finger at him. "Naruto! You have some leftovers on your shirt. I suggest that you should change it because it bothers me."

"Wha-?!" Naruto's lower jaw fell to the ground as he looked over his shirt and found a stain. Then he remembered what Susanoo meant as _'leftovers'_. It was only twenty minutes ago since he emptied his stomach. _'Give me a break...' _He sweatdropped and looked down from the embarrassment he felt.

The blond quickly turned around and decided to do as the human Teigu told him. With a quick pull, he got out of his shirt.

"Hey! Go and be a pervert somewhere else!" Mine yelled as everyone turned to see Naruto now without a shirt.

"Yeah, yeah... Not like I would do anything to my not so cute _Imouto_..." Naruto joked as he moved his hand to hide his smirk.

***Click***

"I dare you to call me that again!" She grabbed Pumpkin and aimed it at his head.

"Nope, I don't wanna..." Naruto shrugged with his shoulders and turned towards Najenda. "Boss, where are my-"

The leader of Night Raid quickly stopped him by pointing back to a tree where she left the bags.

"I put down the bags from the Air Manta over there."

As the blond left the group to change, the rest couldn't help but notice the scars all over his upper body. Akame looked down as she remembered how he only had one scar over his chest when he joined Night Raid. Now he has a lot more. Against Zank, against the Three Beasts, he received a lot of nearly fatal wounds that turned into scars as they healed.

"A quick question." Chelsea raised her hand and asked Najenda. "Is there something I missed? I'm pretty sure when I've read the files of the other members that the 'shrimp' and Naruto are not related." She asked normally as if she didn't insult Mine.

The pink-haired genius sniper glared daggers at her for the nickname.

"No..." Everyone with the exception of Najenda, Susanoo, and Chelsea looked down or away. "Bulat once said when he saw them fight over something that they are pretty much like brother and sister. After he died, Naruto... well... he decided to continue joking about this. As for why, we never asked. But I'm sure most of us know the reason."

"Hmm..." Chelsea remained silent as she looked to the side, deep in thought.

A moment later, Naruto returned wearing a new shirt along with an orange scarf wrapped around his neck what he received from Leone. He left his jacket behind for the time being.

"Hey, hey... it's not that cold to wear a scarf." Lubbock said with a stoic look.

"What's with your green jacket then?" The blond remarked as he returned the exact same look.

"It's fine, it's fine." Leone happily placed a hand on Naruto's head as she smiled. "He only wears it to show how much he loves me~!"

"Ahh, I see!" The user of Cross Tail nodded. "Now it makes sense!"

_'Don't I have a say in this?' _Answering her directly would only result in more teasing, so Naruto decided to withdraw from this bloody battle.

Before Lubbock and Leone could continue tesing Naruto, Akame quickly intervened.

"Boss, is there a reason why Susanoo acts like that?" The red-eyed girl question Najenda whose eyes quickly lit up.

"Fufufu... thank you for asking." Najenda turned toward her Teigu and gave him the order. "Susanoo, do it!"

The air suddenly became heavy as everyone's eyes fell upon the human Teigu.

"Understood." Came the short and quick reply from Susanoo as he pulled out an axe from his clothes and walked up to a tree.

All they could see was trees getting cut in half then carefully placed on the ground. One by one, the human Teigu cut the logs down to size and prepared a small fireplace along with a desk and a chair to everyone. Tossing his robe aside and putting on an apron, Susanoo grabbed a danger beast he previously hunt down and used a knife to disembowel it. Cutting the danger beast to small pieces, he put the bigger parts on steel screwers while the rest on a plate, right above the fire.

...All of this in two minutes.

"I... I feel like I'm seeing something amazing but... what is this?" Lubbock sweatdropped as he saw Susanoo make rice literally out of nothing.

"What's with this insane level of cooking..." Naruto joined as he too couldn't comprehend what is happening. A moment later, he saw the human Teigu leaving their soon to be dinner to continue chopping woods. "And he is making a house in the meantime?! What the hell?!"

"Fufufu..." Najenda chuckled as she sat on a nearby log, watching her Teigu with stars around her head. "As I said, he is amazing. Susanoo is originally a Teigu created for escorting important people! Along with his battle ability, he is fully equiped with the skill to do various household chores so he can be of use around the clock!" She stood up. "Cleaning, laundry, whatever it may be! The repertoire of food he can cook is more than a thousand!"

"That has nothing to do with battle!" Mine yelled from the back.

"So his brain is fifty percent household chores, fifty percent battle?" Naruto mumbled quietly.

"No, no. That means he doesn't have anything to do with love, right?" Lubbock leaned closer and whispered to the blond's ear.

"How should I know?" Naruto replied sarcasticly.

Leone walked up to the two and smiled. "Well, this means he can take care of the problems around the house. That's pretty useful if you ask me."

"Not like you have done any cleaning or cooking!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger at her.

As the two began their usual weird conversation what will most likely end with Naruto's defeat, the others decided to wait for Susanoo at a nearby table he previously made. The house will be done shortly and it is also time for dinner. The trip on the Air Manta took longer than expected.

* * *

**Two Hours Later.**  
**Dining Room.**

* * *

Two hours have passed and the house was now complete. Where Susanoo get the glass for the windows is still a mistery to Naruto but he decided to just simply forget about it. Now that the house is finished, they all decided to eat the meal the human teigu made.

"Gaaahhh! This was some damn tasty dinner!" Leone said while placing a hand on her stomach. "I feel like I can sleep the moment I close my eyes."

Naruto who was sitting next to her nodded.

"Hey, give that back!" On the other side of the table, Mine tried to take her cake back from the smiling Chelsea.

"Alright, now that we have some time to talk, we might as well should discuss a few things." Najenda said as the rest of Night Raid looked at her. "Let's start with you, Naruto. I believe it is time for you to fill me in on what exactly happened while you were with the Jägers. Don't leave out any details." She focused her attention on him.

"Got it." Said the blond as he started his report. He told her the exact same thing he said to the others upon his return. How he met Wave on the way back, how he had a small talk with the Prime Minister and his puppet, how he spent his free time with the others, and how he escaped.

"I see." Najenda closed her eyes and waited a minute or two before she continued. "Never thought Honest had such an interest in someone he held captive in the past. Nearly ten years have passed yet he still told Esdeath to watch out for you."

"Watch out for me?" Naruto asked in a calm tone.

"Yeah. You said that she was the one who_ 'recruited'_ you, almost as if she knew how you look." She picked up a cigarette. "So the Prime Minister must have told her to get you into the Jägers... Heh, at least he has no idea you are part of Night Raid."

"That's fine and all, put how is it that he suddenly has such an interest in me? I mean, how did he find out that I've returned to the Capital? The Three Beasts were under Esdeath's command, right? If they only took orders from her, telling them to keep an eye out for me is the most logical thing to do, yet none of them recognized me."

This made the assassins' leader unsure. She made several scenarios in her mind to figure out how did the Prime Minister get any information about him.

"An eye witness..." She whispered to herself. "Naruto, you remember the mission up in the mountains where you had to eliminate a woman with Bulat? The one you decided to sleep in a cave?"

"The mission right after Sheele's death..." Even though he mumbled these words out, some of the members looked down at the mention of Sheele's death. "Yeah, I remember."

"This is just a speculation, so I'm not certain it is true. Bulat mentioned an eye witness after the two of you finished the mission. The man looked like a beaten up civilian with two kids by his side, so Bulat didn't do anything after he made sure they didn't follow you two." She said.

_'Shit! How is it that I failed to detect their presence? I really sucked back there...' _He thought to himself. "You mean..."

"Yeah, he must have seen your faces. The woman who was on your list had some serious connections, meaning that her death was probably a bit more important than the rest. Considering that he lived up in the mountains with two kids, money must have been a big problem for him. He might have owed money to the tartget. So in order to get money..." Najenda was cut off as Naruto finished for her.

"He went to the fat bastard to tell him what happened, who killed her... and since I was with him, he figured I must have helped Bulat." Naruto said.

"Exactly. Bulat also said that only person he saw was you since he used Incursio's invisibility, so I guess it makes sense the Prime Minister didn't suspect you to be a member of Night Raid."

"But... the Prime Minister... giving money..."

"A lie, of course." Chelsea said from the sideline. "To him, an eye witness is a person who knows too much. There is no need for me to say what he does to the people who know things they shouldn't, right?"

Naruto grit his teeth. "You mean, he just simply but a dagger in his back." After all the things he's been through, Naruto can now control his anger to some extent. "Then that two kids who waited for him to return-"

"The man was not the only one who he killed." Chelsea crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair. "The children are dead too."

"Wha-?!"

"Why are you so surprised? There is no way he would just let his family walk away. The father must have told them he is going to see the Prime Minister. In this not so safe world, what is first thing you think of when someone goes and asks for money from him of all people, yet doesn't return?" Chelsea asked.

"O...Oi, oi. What's with this gloomy atmosphere?" Lubbock shivered from the end of the table.

"..." Naruto remained silent.

"Chelsea is right, this is how most of the officers operate these days." Akame said from his left after she finished her meal.

"Well, it's not that much of a surprise after all this time... So let's talk about the main topic of the this conversation." Najenda sighed. "Naruto, the Empire gave you a Teigu."

The Teigu that somehow allowed him to use Extasy. As much as he doesn't want to care about it, the pocket watch is still a huge mistery.

"Yeah..." Naruto reached into his right pocket and pulled out the pocket watch. "This is it." He put it on the table before pushing it in front of Najenda.

Opening Pendulum, she stared at the none moving hands. She looked throught all of its parts, but her stoic expression remained the same. Naruto already filled in about the abilities it gave him inside the Palace and what happened in his fight against Stylish.

"No clue..." She whispered.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"I've never seen or heard about this Teigu, not even when I was a general." She stared at the Teigu. "You mentioned how it reinforced the skin on your arms like it was made out of metal. How you were able to use your Shingu again..."

"Yes, it was strange at first, but it definitely felt like I was using my Shingu the whole time. Right after the pocket watch disappeared." He placed a hand against his head. "Wait!"

_**"To activate one Teigu in order to use another... it's almost like using two Teigu at the same time."**_

The words Stylish told him... It's as if the pocket watch allows the user to wield any kind of Teigu as long as its activated.

"Catch." Najenda's stern voice surprised him and he was just in time to catch his pocket watch. "You look like you've realized something."

"Might as well try and use it like in the Palace." Naruto closed his eyes as he focused on the Teigu, pressing the button on the top.

***Click***

The same blue light came out of the Teigu like last time and it slowly sank into his right hand. The others watched with interest.

"How do you feel?" Najenda asked, seeing that Naruto opened his eyes.

"Normal. Just like before." He said. This time there were no _'out of body experiences'_ or hallucinations. "Here goes nothing." He extended his arm and focused as hard as he could.

But nothing happened.

"Any luck?" Mine asked with her arms crossed.

"This is weird..." He looked down, frustrated. "The skin on my arm should have changed like last time..." Naruto tried a few more times but nothing changed.

"If I may..." Susanoo's voice reached the blond's ears as he turned towards him like everyone else. "I was there when he used that Teigu." He quickly stepped out of the room and returned with a weapon in his hands.

It was Extasy.

Najenda said that the Air Manta took all of their Teigu back to the Revolutionary Army... Naruto was surprised to see it was still here.

"Take it." Susanoo brought it up to him.

"W-Wait a minute." Naruto stepped back a little but before he could refuse, the human Teigu already gave him the large scissors.

"?!"

Right when the blond touched the Teigu, the aura around him changed.

"That Teigu allows the user to use any kind of Teigu even if the compatibility rate is low or almost non-existent." Susanoo said, surprising the rest of the people inside the room.

"The ability to... use any Teigu?" Naruto stared down at Sheele's weapon with guilt. Normally he wouldn't be able to use it, but now it feels like he is perfectly compatible with Extasy.

"Susanoo, what do you think?" Najenda asked her Teigu.

"I think that the pocket watch simply allows him to use any kind of Imperial Arms along with other unusual weapons. The ability he mentioned previously is most likely belong to his Shingu." He pointed at Naruto's chest. "After the fight when I helped him up from the ground... I got confused."

"Confused?"

"Despite that his Teigu was already deactivated, I almost mistook him as my master."

Back when he took Susanoo's hand, he almost became his master.

"Interesting!" Leone put her legs up on the table while she had a sake bottle in her hands. "Say, Akame-chan. Murasame is pretty much dangerous to anyone except its wielder, right? Why don't we try and see what happens when Naruto use it?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." The red-eyed girl shook her head with a stoic face.

"Hmm..." She scratched the top of her head with the sake bottle. "Ah! I know. Then what about Lionel?" She patted her belt. "Want to have cute ears and a tail?" The young woman laughed.

Lubbock butted in.

"Yeah! Go ahead, you can take it off here-Bvoofff!"

***Crash***

A moment later, and empty sake bottle crashed into his head while he received a karate chop.

"Sorry, my hand sllipped."  
"Sorry, my bad."

Both Leone and Naruto said at the same time.

And with that, the conversation ended. Naruto now can pretty much use any kind of Teigu with his pocket watch. Also, the reason the Prime Minister wants him is pretty much this. There is Teigu, a really powerful one inside the Capital. And since he is pretty much expandable, the fat bastard can easily sacrafice him without worry.

But what could this Teigu possibly be...

It's going to take a while until he finds out.

"Seeing that everyone is still here, can I ask something?" Chelsea spoke up with her playful tone.

"What do you have in mind?" Najenda replied.

"I was told that with the two of us..." She glanced over to Susanoo. "...Night Raid will have nine members. My question is, why is it that there are only eight of us here?" Chelsea asked it with a smile like she already knew the answer. "Tatsumi... right?"

"It's my fault." Everyone turned to Naruto. "Run intercepted me and I nearly bit the dust. I was too weak to go back to Tatsumi."

"Naruto, I told you already, don't blame yourself." Akame tried to cheer him.

Naruto raised a hand that it was okay.

"So? What is it you are trying to say, Chelsea?" He asked, a bit confused why she brought the topic up.

But...

...the reply Chelsea gave him...

"What if..."

...Shocked him.

"What if he turns against us?"

Not just him, but everyone else with the exception of Susanoo and Najenda.

"Wha-?!"

Naruto was frozen in his chair.

"We won't be able to return to the Capital for at least a month. Do you think he can last that long around Esdeath?" Chelsea asked.

"Ha! Like he'd betray us! He saw what's going on in the Capital, how the Prime Minister does his things. There is no way that he can possibly agree-"

"What was the reason you two came to the Capital?" She cut him off with another question.

"Reason? Why does that even matter? We came to the Capital to get money for our village-" Naruto stopped when it hit him.. "You are joking, right?" He stood up from his seat. "There is no way he can betray us! We already lost two good friends thanks to the Empire. He won't join Esdeath nor the Prime Minister. "

"You are missing my point." Chelsea remained calm.

"Huh?"

"Of course, we don't know anything for sure. Esdeath is an experienced torturer. She can make prisoners suffer with tools, but she can also do it with words. And I'm sure Tatsumi's willpower is strong." She took a glass of water in her hands. "The real question is, will you be able to fight him to the death if it comes to that?"

"?!"

"I'm not saying that he is already an enemy, but it's better to be prepared, don't you think? We are assassins after all. Unlike you, I've never met this Tatsumi in person, so he is just a random human being to me."

"You don't have to worry about it." Naruto quickly calmed down and sat back into his chair. "He won't do that."

Chelsea remained silent.

"Well, that's how things are." Najenda said. "We won't return anytime soon, so let's take this chance and use this month to train. We can't assume that we'll get any more reinforcements. Think of this as the last group of people with talent in Night Raid."

Everyone looked at the each other with sharp eyes.

"Let's all complete missions, live on, and welcome the day of the revolution!"

Taking Tatsumi into consideration, nine of them remained. There won't be any other members, so Night Raid's team has been finalized.

But how many of them will live long enough to see the day of the revolution?

**Night Raid: Eight (Nine?) Members Remaining.**

* * *

**Night Raid's Temporary Hideout.**  
**Three Hours Later.**  
**Hallway.**

* * *

***Knock* *Knock***

Naruto stood in the middle of the hallway, waiting for the door in front if him to be opened as he pulled back his hand. It was past midnight, so he wondered if the person inside the room is already asleep.

***Click***

The door the opened.

"Hmm? Naruto?" Chelsea said from the other side as she looked surprised to see him.

"Can I talk with you for a minute?" The blond asked.

"Oh, you already want to get inside a girl's room?~"

"I'm serious."

This surprised the girl and she let him in. The two walked back and sat down. Chelsea chose her bad while Naruto hopped down on a chair.

"So, what is it that you want?"

"Teach me!" Naruto immediately answered as honestly as possible. "How to act as an assassin, how to make the right decision..." He clenched his fists.

For a minute, Chelsea stared at him with wide eyes before she leaned back against the wall.

"Right decision, huh?"

"I thought things through about what you said back at dinner. And at the moment, I wouldn't be able to do it."

"You mean killing Tatsumi if he turns into an enemy?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Not just him... Though I'm still certain he is on our side." He grit his teeth as hard as he could. "Wave... Kurome... Bols... hell, even Seryu..." Naruto stared at the ground with his eyes closed. "I can train my body as long as I can, but the week I spent with them would not allow me to just kill them in cold blood... no matter how hard I try."

"I see, instead of physical, you need mental training."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Then I'll say this right now... you are not qualified to be an assassin." Her tone was harsh yet true.

The words hit Naruto painfully. But she was right. Tatsumi was the one who killed Aria back in the beginning despite Naruto being the closest to her. All the time he spent on missions... he just played along. The people he killed were all "evil". They did awful things, and for that, he killed them. But what about Wave for example? He didn't do anything wrong, he is simply on the other side.

He won't be able to kill him. An assassin should be able to kill anyone, any target.

But Naruto cannot. Not at the moment.

"Well, we can't change about the fact that you are here now... you can't just go out the door and say you are done." Chelsea stood up and reached out to Naruto, who looked up. "Fine, I'll help. After all, if you fail, it might as well could result in everyone's death, right?" She smiled.

Naruto stared at her with wide eyes. He should have felt insulted, but she was right.

"Heh!" He grinned and stood up.

"Just a quick question. I'm curious, why did you ask me about this?" She asked.

"Who knows..." Naruto continued to grin as he took her hand. "At first, I thought that you looked too cute to be an assassin, then I heard you say all those things..."

"..." This made her blush.

"Putting pinkie to the side, it's easy to understand how everyone is a killer... though I never would have guessed you as one-AHHH!" He jumped back from the pain he felt coming from his hand. Chelsea squeezed his hand hard enough to nearly break. "Wh-wh-what the hell? You nearly broke my fingers?!" Naruto cried fake tears as he looked at his swollen hand.

"Hahaha! Expect a harsh one month. I hope your mind can survive it."

"Y-Yeah..." A bit scared, Naruto left her room quickly.

Little did he know that Chelsea walked up to the door then leaned against it, her face still as red as a tomato.

**Chapter 13: END.  
Thank you for reading!  
**

* * *

**In Chapter 14: Kill the Spoiled Brat (Part 1).**

**"I'm not complaining... hell, fishing is sooo good I feel I can die in peace right now..."  
**

**xXxXxXx**

**"So this is our new hideout."**

**xXxXxXx**

**"Tatsumi?!"**

**xXxXxXx**

**"The Prime Minister's son...?!"**

* * *

**Well, that's it for Chapter 13. If you got confused about the pocket watch's ability, I did that on purpose. So they are pretty much switched. The pocket watch's ability can make him use any Teigu while his Shingu's powers were already shown in the Palace a couple chapters back.**


End file.
